On The Gulf
Songwriter Fest Returns to Southwest Florida
The Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, a 10-day music festival celebrates its 11th year with more than 80 concerts throughout Southwest Florida by the acclaimed and popular singer-songwriters from Nashville and nationwide.
The festival features more than 40 artists, including first time performers like John Ellison, Alex Miller, Lilly MacPhee, Chloe Caroline, and The Reed Brothers, as well as returning singersongwriters like Katrina Cain, Frank Myers, Bobby Tomberlin, Danny Myrick, Brian Sutherland, and Essex County.
Local favorite, Sheena Brook will also be returning, performing in Captiva and Fort Myers Beach.
More than a dozen venues in Cape Coral, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, and downtown Fort Myers will host free performances, including Gather and High Tide Social House in Cape Coral, Lucky Screw and the Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers’ Historic River District, Diamondhead Beach Resort and Margaritaville Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach, and The Green Flash and Captiva Civic Center in Captiva.
SCHEDULE
Sep 19-21: Captiva Island
Sep 22-23: Cape Coral
Sep 24-25: Downtown Fort Myers
Sep 26-28: Fort Myers Beach
Grammy-nominated songwriter with 14 #1 hits, Chris Young will headline Island Hopper Songwriter Fest’s closing concert with a pool party performance on Sunday, September 28 at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach.
The festival will also feature the popular duo Locash on Monday, September 22 at The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral.
Songwriter cruises are planned, departing from the Westin Cape Coral.
Tickets are needed to attend the Chris Young and Locash concerts, and cruises.
This highly anticipated annual event will feature over 80 free and ticketed shows over 10 days across Captiva Island, Cape Coral, Downtown Fort Myers, and Fort Myers Beach.
Grammy-nominated songwriter, Chris Young performs at the Island-Hopper Songwriter Fest’s closing pool party, September 28 at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina.
Call 800-237-6444 for information. Check islandhopperfest.visitfortmyers.com for updates.
Summer Circus in Sarasota
The 2025 Summer Circus Spectacular, the popular collaboration between The Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling, runs through August 9 at the Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling (5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota).
The show features circus artists from around the world, including fan favorites and international superstars, from
here in Sarasota and all around the globe, including a winner of America’s Got Talent, a trio from Ethiopia, and several acts from multi-generational circus performing families.
The lineup for the 2025 Summer Circus Spectacular includes:
•Jared E. Walker: Ringmaster
•Aidan Bryant: aerial straps: aerial silks, contortion, hand balancing, hand loops, foot archery
•Juan Carlos Valencia as the Clown
•Nilson Escobar: speed juggling
•Sian España: German Wheel, daredevil motorcycle riding and acrobatics
•Trio Black Diamond: allfemale acrobatic hand balance act
•Zeman Quick Change: quick change artistry by married couple, Karoly ’Karchy’ Zeman & Ana ‘Anita’ Zeman
Show times are Tue-Fri 11am & 2pm and Sat 2 & 5pm.
The Historic Asolo Theatre is located at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. For information, call 941-355-9335.
St. James City Hosts
MangoMania
Pine Island’s annual tropical fruit fair, MangoMania will be held in St. James City on July 12.
Summer Circus Spectacular performances run thru August 9 in the Historic Asolo Theatre at The Ringling in Sarasota.
This event celebrates the island’s tropical fruit farms and other Pine Island businesses recovering from recent hurricanes. This family-oriented event includes:
•Tropical Plants, Trees & Fruit for Sale
•Biggest Mango Contest
•Best of Mango Food Contests: jam & jellies, salsa, bread, relishes & chutney, condiments, desserts
•Mango & Tropical Fruit Specialty Foods and Beverages
•Growing Seminars with experts
•DJ & Live Music
•Art & Craft Vendors SEMINARS
9:30AM: History of Mangoes on Pine Island
10:30AM: Mango Grafting
11:30AM: Mango Farming & Permaculture
1pM: Breeding New Mango Varieties
2pM: Mango in the Landscape
3pM: Cooking & Preserving with tropical fruit
DJ Maggie will be spinning music all day. Sheena Brook will perform at 2pm.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome to support Pine Island’s recovery.
Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce’s MangoMania will be celebrated 9am-5pm at the Winn Dixie Plaza, located at 9940 Stringfellow Rd. in St. James City of Pine Island.
For information, call 283-0888.
Moonlight Walk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is hosting Moonlight on the Boardwalk, a family-oriented moonlight walk, on August 7. Under the nearly full moon, guests can explore the 2.25-mile boardwalk through an ancient bald cypress forest with trees more than 500 years old.
A variety of activities are planned on the boardwalk, including: storytelling with flashlights and shadow puppets, a bio-fluorescent station, and wildlife and night sky viewing.
In addition, there will be a touch table on nocturnal animals from 6:30-7:30pm and a moth station starting at 7:30pm.
Guests are encouraged to use a red flashlight for this event, as red light is less disruptive to
nocturnal wildlife. Red cellophane will be available for free to cover flashlights or cameras/cell phones that use a white flash. Guests are also encouraged to wear a longsleeved shirt, long pants, and socks to deter mosquitos.
General admission begins at 6:30pm. The moon rises at 7:10pm, with sunset at 8pm. The event concludes at 9:30pm. Advance tickets are recommended for Moonlight on the Boardwalk.
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is located at 375 Sanctuary Rd. W. in Naples. Open daily, summer hours are 8 am-3pm, with the last admission at 1pm.
Call 348-9151 for information.
Alliance for the Arts’ ArtLab Comes to Lee Libraries
T
he Alliance for the Arts is offering ArtLab, a free, hands-on program for all ages and abilities, designed to inspire creativity, encourage curiosity, and make the arts accessible to everyone.
Taking place monthly at the Alliance in Fort Myers, the program is expanding to Lee County public libraries this summer.
Activities range from artmaking and gallery scavenger hunts to games and cultural crafts — all inspired by current exhibitions, world holidays, and the work of iconic artists throughout history.
In addition to ArtLab at the Alliance for the Arts on the third Saturday of each month (July19, August 16, September 20), there are pop-up workshops scheduled this summer for: ALL AGES
Jul 8: East County Library (11AM)
Jul 8: Fort Myers Library (2pm)
Jul 8: Bonita Springs Library (6pM)
Jul 8: Northwest Library, Cape Coral (6pM)
Jul 9: North Fort Myers Library (2pM)
Jul 10: Lakes Regional Library, Ft Myers (10AM)
Jul 10: Cape Coral Library (2pM) TEENS
Jun 10: Riverdale Library, Ft Myers (2pM)
Jun 11: South County Library, Estero (6pM)
Jun 13: Dunbar Library, Ft Myers (3pM)
The Alliance also brings
ArtLab programming into the community through outreach at:
•Thrive in Cape Coral (1st Sat)
•Pine Manor Community Center (4th Sat)
•ArtPlay at LARC (Wed –a Mobile ArtLab for adults with disabilities)
•Lee County Schools (including Colonial Elementary & Ft Myers Middle School)
The Alliance for the Arts is located at 10091 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers. The campus & galleries are open Tue-Fri 9am-7pm & Sat 9am-1pm. For information, call 939-2787.
Naples Botanical Garden celebrates their annual Waterlily Weekend, August 30 & 31.
the hidden role they play in our everyday lives.
WATERLILY WEEKEND
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Naples Botanical Garden invites amateur photographers to submit photos for its annual Waterlily Photo Competition to coincide with Waterlily Weekend.
There are three categories: Color, black & white, and manipulated.
The contest is open to all amateur photographers.
The deadline to submit photographs is July 22. Winners will be notified on August 1
Winning photographs will be printed for display during the two-day event and first place winners in each category will receive a one-year complimentary membership to Naples Botanical Garden.
Waterlily Celebration at Naples Garden
N
aples Botanical Garden is hosting their annual Waterlily Weekend, August 30 & 31.
The festival celebrates the Garden’s growing collection of waterlilies with special tours and demonstrations. The Garden features nearly 500 diverse specimens on display throughout our many aquatic gardens.
Waterlilies & Beyond tours at 10am, 11am & 12pm explore
Naples Botanical Garden, located at 4820 Bayshore Dr. in Naples, is open 8am-2pm daily thru September. Call 643-7275 for information.
Rauschenberg Gallery Annex
Opens
F
lorida Southwestern State College is inaugurating their new Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex with the exhibition/installation of ‘William S. Burroughs & David Bradshaw: Seven Deadly Sins’.
On view through August 2, it will be the beginning of programming in the annex during the two-year renovation and closure of Humanities Hall/ Building L.
Following the Rauschenberg Gallery’s recent ‘William S. Burroughs & Laurie Anderson: Language is a Virus’ and ‘David Bradshaw & William S.Burroughs: Propagation’ exhibitions, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ features the world premiere of previously unseen original artworks by the legendary, late Beat Generation author with newly-commissioned drawings and gun-shot books by his friend and collaborator, artist and sharpshooter David Bradshaw.
Open to the public, free of charge.
The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex is located in Building J – Library-Lobby (Room 118) on the SouthWestern State College campus, 8099 College Pkwy. In Fort Myers. The gallery is open Mon-Sat 10am- 4pm. Admission is free. Call 489-9313 for information.
FSW State College’s new Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex hosts the exhibition, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ thru August 2.
The exhibition, ‘Beautiful and Proud’, is on view at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in Clewiston.
Museum Celebrates Miss Florida Seminole
The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum’s newest exhibition, ‘Beautiful
and Proud’, is a tribute to the majesty of the remarkable women who earned the privilege of representing the Tribe as Miss Florida Seminole.
The exhibit explores the rich history and enduring significance of the Miss Florida Seminole role, from the first appointed ‘Princess’ and the first awarded ‘Seminole Queen,’ up to today’s reigning Miss Florida Seminole titleholder.
Through rare photographs, historical footage, and personal objects, visitors will journey through decades of tradition, pride, and cultural representation. The exhibit also features firsthand reflections from former princesses, sharing insight on what it means to them to have served as Miss Florida Seminole.
‘Beautiful and Proud’, will be on display at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum through Summer 2026.
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is located on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, at 34725 W. Boundary Rd. in Clewiston. The museum is open daily 9am-5pm. For information, call 863-902-1113.
Sarasota Art Museum Presents Mixed-Media installation
Ringling College of Art & Design’s Sarasota Art Museum presents the exhibition, ‘Lillian
Sarasota Art Museum, located in the historic Sarasota High School, is hosting the installation ‘Lillian Blades: Through the Veil’ thru October 26.
Blades: Through the Veil,’ thru October 26. At the center of this monumental, site-specific mixed-media installation is an immersive labyrinth of mixedmedia veils. Suspended and lit by the central gallery skylight tower, these floating tapestries invite visitors to step inside and wander through veils of translucency and reflection.
Constructed from acrylic, stained glass, wood, fabric, and spray paint to cut canvas, printed photographs, mirrors, and jewelry, Blades utilizes a wide range of found and hand-made materials to construct her wired sculptures, evoking lace-like patterns that bounce color and light throughout the space. On the walls, mounted assemblages further envelop visitors.
Lillian Blades’ work has been featured in galleries, museums and botanical gardens across the United States, as well as in The Bahamas, Trinidad, Germany and South Africa.
Sarasota Art Museum is Sarasota’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work.
Sarasota Art Museum is located in the historic Sarasota High School, at 1001 South Tamiami Trail. The museum is open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 11am-5pm. For information, call 941-309-5120.
Sheena Brook : Songwriter
Singer-songwriter Sheena Brook is the charismatic and captivating blind coffee date everyone hopes for, where you lose track of time in conversation, start wishing the chairs were more comfortable, and probably should have just grabbed lunch. I know this firsthand from spending a few hours getting to know her at Summer Moon Coffee in Fort Myers. She exudes a laid-back, humble, very self-assured vibe: trademark extra-long dark hair, intricately designed tattoos on each arm, and dressed in sneakers and a plain white tee with sleeves cuffed ever so slightly. She’s a giant warm smile with a firm handshake.
Ten minutes into our conversation, we’re sharing overprotective dog mom stories and comparing Enneagram personality profiles. She’s the epitome of cool confidence, and she should be. She’s had quite the journey to get where she is today.
Born and raised in southwest Florida, Brook and her family bounced around Lee County throughout her childhood.
“We moved a lot, but never out of the county. Just enough to change schools quite a bit.” She looks back on the frequent changes as a blessing more than anything. She laughs and says, “I never had the chance to get sick of people!”
Her family was consistently involved in their church, and Brook developed a deep connection to music at an early
by Kara Moyer
age through leading the worship music group. That foundation paved the way for exploring other genres, even forming a rap group in high school, and performing in detention centers. Before long, she was writing her own music, and in 2009, the band FellowBliss was established. The group earned a respectable amount of local notoriety in its two-year life span, but Brook eventually moved on to found Gypsy Native, dubbed ‘Americana Indie Soul.’ As the kids say these days, this is when Summer Stockton entered the chat.
“Summer is the one who convinced me that I could do this solo,” Brook explains. Gypsy Native was performing at well-known Backstreets in Cape Coral when Stockton stopped in to see a show one evening. “We have a photo of the night we met. It was one of those moments where everyone could see there was an instant connection.” It wasn’t long before Stockton convinced Brook to book one solo gig, “just to test the waters.” She never looked back. Stockton is now Brook’s manager, and they’ll celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary this summer. “I could talk about my wife all day. Summer’s just an amazing human and I don’t think I’d be where I am today in my career, or my life for that matter, if I hadn’t met her.”
Brook’s music career took flight after going solo. “I learned how to entertain in my own way and I realized how much I love 100% running the show.” She became a staple performer on Fort Myers Beach and developed integral song-writing relationships in Nashville. While she loves performing unaccompanied, co-writing songs is her preference, and she travels back and forth multiple times a year to collaborate. “Co-writing makes you a better writer. It makes you write authentically and push that one step further than you would on your own.”
I ask what inspires her writing, and she answers quickly: “My life. My experiences, my challenges… I write what I know.”
Fest, which is celebrating its 11th season this summer. Originally created as an event to help support local businesses on the barrier islands—Captiva and Fort Myers Beach specifically—during the sometimes painfully slow off-seasons, the ten-day music festival has become a beloved destination event in southwest Florida and now includes venues in Cape Coral and downtown Fort Myers. It features nearly 100 singer-songwriters who are part of BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc., which represents the public performance rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers), and its biggest sponsor is iHeart Radio, which owns a multitude of local radio stations in the area.
Brook has been involved since the launch of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, and is especially excited to continue her original series, ‘Golf Cart Karaoke,’ a unique spin on James Corden’s famous ‘Carpool Karaoke.’ She drives a golf cart with a fellow musician and streams the trip live on Instagram while they talk shop and play songs together. It’s become wildly popular, and she takes the literal road show on the road to the Key West Songwriting Festival, as well as the Annapolis Songwriting Festival, where she drives a water taxi instead of a golf cart. Brook also serves as a Certified Bose Consultant, adding major corporate sponsorship from the audio equipment manufacturer to her list of accomplishments.
“Island Hopper is near and dear to my heart. It’s such an amazing platform and opportunity for people to hear such a wide array
“Island Hopper is near and dear to my heart. It’s an amazing platform and opportunity for people to hear a wide array of music. I feel so honored to be a part of it.”
An advocate for LGBTQ rights, themes of authenticity, setting boundaries, and forgiveness resonate throughout her songs. When I mention those recurring subjects, her response is passionate, clearly based on personal experience. “It’s okay and healing to forgive, but you also have to acknowledge that we no longer align, and that’s when the boundaries have to be set. Summer has taught me about boundaries. They’re a myth in the south, and Florida’s about as far south as you can get. Summer is Enneagram 8, so she’s assertive and protective. I’m a 2. I just want to keep everyone happy.” We laugh about our strengths and shortcomings, the odd ways a personality test can be like therapy and help you better understand your partner, and she adds emphatically, “She’s taught me to stand up for myself.”
While she doesn’t claim a specific genre for her music, you can undoubtedly hear a strong country influence in much of her solo work, which perfectly complements her range and tone. In ‘Taking the High Road,’ Brook sings the chorus with what feels like every ounce of internal strength: “How long must I carry this load / Of taking the high road.” Her voice is optimistic and resilient; it’s a dynamic and vulnerable song that makes you want to stand up and shout for her and hug her at the same time. You can hear her standing up for herself.
Song writing is what drew Brook to the Island Hopper Songwriter
of music. It does so much for the communities, especially on the beaches. I just feel so honored to continue to be a part of it.”
In 2017, Brook appeared on season 12 of NBC’s The Voice, which catapulted her onto a national stage during competition. She made it to the Top 48 contestants, but was eliminated in the battle rounds. She speaks briefly on the appearance: “It was amazing. I always say, ‘If you let it be, it’s so wonderful.’” She’s grateful to have made lasting relationships with many of her fellow contestants, many of whom are fellow Island Hopper Songwriter Fest alumni. “There is so much talent that it’s both empowering and humbling to be there.”
While Brook has lived in southwest Florida most of her life, it’s important to note that Fort Myers Beach is especially significant to her. Brook and Stockton lived on Estero Island and quite literally survived the landfall of Hurricane Ian in 2022. They were in their home, near the Lani Kai Hotel, as the storm surge rose, decimating the island we once knew. Their home, vehicles, and majority of belongings were destroyed. “Ian, along with several other things, sort of put my life on hold for a little while. It was just… devastating.” Brook shakes her head, as though there’s a part of her, understandably, still in disbelief that it happened. Brook and Stockton shared videos of before, during, and after on social media, including returning to retrieve what they could salvage only to discover squatters in what was left of their home. Her song, ‘Pray Again,’ which was released on the one-year anniversary of
the storm, is a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute that acknowledges the emotional devastation. The chorus:
When the water’s rising
And the flood comes in
That’s when I start learning
To pray again
You’d be hard-pressed not to feel a lump in your throat or tears well in your eyes, whether you personally experienced the storm or not. The raw emotion in her perfectly pitched voice is riveting and put simply, beautiful.
Although we didn’t go into extreme detail, having acknowledged her recurring themes of boundaries and forgiveness, mixed with her religious upbringing and current life in the public eye as a gay married woman fiercely advocating for equality, her lyrics of learning not to pray but specifically “pray again” are even more poignant. While the strength and range of her singing voice is enough to stand on its own, her ability to develop such multifaceted metaphorical contexts in her song writing is extraordinary. She’s standing up for many these days, not just herself.
Brook and Stockton now have a home in Fort Myers with their two golden retrievers, who are most definitely spoiled. Brook even apologized for being less than five minutes late for our coffee meeting. She laughs, “I was rescheduling with the lawn company so that the dogs can still go out the doggy door and be outside while I’m away today. They have a routine, too!” She then pulls up a video of Shiloh finishing a treat on their back patio.
When I ask what’s on the horizon, she pauses, then explains, “I’m a yes person. I’m ambitious. I always want more. I want to record new music, revisit the old music, keep performing, go bigger. But it’s also about quality, too. That’s gotta be in focus. I continue to ask myself: What is the quality of life I’m looking for?” •
Sheena will be performing at the 2025 Island Hopper Songwriter Festival, September 19-21 on Captiva and September 26-28 in Fort Myer s Beach (exact dates and times not available at publishing time). For information visit island-hopperfest.visitfortmyers.com. Visit sheenabrook.com for infor mation about Sheena’s upcoming shows. Her music is available on iHear tRadio, Spotify, and YouTube. To watch episodes of ‘Golf Cart Karaoke,’ visit @sheenabrook on Instagram.
Dave Barry Will Not Grow Up
by Nancy Stetson
EXPLODING TOILETS. Boogers. National Talk Like a Pirate Day. The fire hazards separately posed by Strawberry Pop-Tarts and Rollerblade Barbie.
In 1983, when the Miami Herald hired Dave Barry to write a weekly humor column, they gave him carte blanche: he could write about whatever he wanted.
Or, as Barry puts it, “…my beat was any topic that caught my attention. Which turned out to be…some pretty weird topics.”
And readers loved it.
“There’s a cavalcade of stupid things I’ve done so I can write columns about them.”
Barry’s readership grew so much that at its height, his syndicated humor column was printed in over 500 newspapers across the country, read by millions. And he wrote books, too: Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up, Boogers are My Beat: More Lies, But Some Actual Journalism, and Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland are just some of the many titles.
He noted milestone birthdays with bestsellers.
When he turned 40, he wrote Dave Barry Turns 40. At 50: Dave Barry Turns 50.
Now, at 77, he’s written his memoir, Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up (Simon & SchuS ter), with a book cover that shows Barry as a young boy, wearing his beloved Davy Crockett T-shirt.
Unlike most other books, the title boasts not one but two subtitles and two colons.
“If I remember correctly, I suggested both subtitles,” Barry says. “I know I wanted to call it Class Clown. They decided to use two of (my subtitle suggestions.) Maybe they had some extra colons hanging around Simon & Schuster.”
After being voted Male Class Clown in high school, Barry eventually went on to become America’s class clown.
But even with all his success over the decades, he had to be convinced to write his memoir.
“It was like: you haven’t written a memoir; you’ve had a lot of experience and you’re old,” he says. “When are you gonna do it?”
But in his mind, “Memoirs are by people like Barbra Streisand, really famous people. I’m not really a famous person. I wanted it to be interesting enough (if I was going to write it.) I have some level of celebrity, but not anywhere near the level of other memoirs being published. My agent and my editor convinced me it was worthwhile.”
And it obviously was.
Barry crisscrossed the country on a book tour, and his memoir hit the New York Times Bestseller List on June 1.
His memoir’s written with Barry’s idiosyncratic humor. (Chapter One opens with this sentence: “Like so many
members of the Baby Boom generation, I started out as a baby.”)
And the book’s structure is unique.
“I didn’t want it to be strictly straight forward from year zero to 77,” he explains.
The early chapters are chronological, covering his childhood and school years, up to the beginning of his career.
“Then later in the book, there are different things I got involved in: politics, books, music and movies. I group them by subject, by aspects of my writing career.
“I don’t think my personal life is all that exciting,” he says. “When you’re me and you go around and do public speaking, people want to know: ‘Where does it all come from?’ So I wanted to explain where it all does come from, rather than who is the real Dave Barry. Who cares? You can see who I am from what I talk about.”
beginnings
He dedicates his memoir to his late parents, “For Mom and Dad, the two best parents I ever had,” with an asterisk explaining, “They would have approved of this joke.”
Both heavily influenced Barry’s sense of humor. His father, who was a Presbyterian minister and worked at the Presbyterian Board of National Missions, owned a number of Robert Benchley books Barry stumbled upon when he was 11 or 12. Barry fell in love with Benchley’s columns, explaining in his memoir: “I read those books and became obsessed with them; they definitely influenced my writing style, and I still read them today.”
“That was the type of writing I wanted to do,” Barry says. “I still love (Benchley.) The idea that you could just be silly, you didn’t have to have a structured essay that developed a point. He didn’t care at all about that, he just went for laughs.
“I’m not trying to convince people of anything, I’m really just trying to make people laugh.”
But it was his mother who influenced him even more.
“Absolutely, my sense of humor came directly from her,” he says. “She was a very edgy person. Part of the reason for her edge was she was unhappy. She turned it into humor very effectively. She didn’t sit down and teach me how to be funny. I was just listening to her, her sensibility toward the world.”
He writes about how, as a kid, when he went to play at the pond with his sister, his mom, “in the cheerful voice of a 50s TV-commercial housewife shouted, ‘Don’t drown, kids!’ ‘We won’t,’ we cheerfully shouted back. We thought it was funny. But it was a joke that most moms would never have made.”
Though the memoir’s full of his humor, he also writes about the painful parts of his life,
including his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s death by suicide.
It was his column about his mom’s passing, along with a couple others, that won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for Distinguished Commentary.
The book includes a photo of that day. Barry’s son, Rob, is in his arms, with a big smile on his face. Barry explains that his son is grinning so widely not because he’s happy his dad won the prize, but because Barry just told him he’d buy him a Nintendo.
Barry is also the only Pulitzer Prize winner to have a sewage lifting station in Grand Forks, North Dakota, named after him.
other craziness
Barry’s lived a life chock-full of craziness and wackiness.
“There’s a cavalcade of stupid things I’ve done so I can write columns about them,” he says.
He discusses many of those things in his memoir, such as being a member of the Lawn Rangers, who march and do precision maneuvers with lawnmowers and brooms. Barry proudly marched with the group in Obama’s inaugural parade in 2008.
Barry himself not only covered presidential conventions but also ran for president regularly, with the motto, “It’s time we demanded less.”
And he’s a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock group consisting of other New York Times bestselling authors such as Stephen King, Amy Tan, Carl Hiaasen and Barbara Kingsolver.
Father of the modern legal thriller, Scott Turow, who’s also a member of the band (and lives parttime in Naples), has nothing but praise for Barry.
his Young Adult novel, Peter and the Starcatchers, co-written with New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson, became the basis for the multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway play, Peter and the Starcatcher. (Barry and Ridley went on to write four more books in that series,)
Barry has driven the Oscar Meier Weinermobile and was also a corpse in an opera.
He’s written—twice—for the Oscars when Steve Martin hosted and then co-hosted. But he doesn’t consider that his forte.
“I would never do that as a profession,” he says. “There are people who are way better at it than I am, writing gags for a show. Those are people who can say something funny. They’re constantly thinking. The ones I was working with, give them a topic, and they can write ten jokes in about five minutes.”
But the process of a print humor writer is similar to that of a stand-up comic, Barry says.
“[When they perform,] the impression you get is that they’re just thinking those things as they’re saying it. But that routine has maybe gone through a hundred iterations. Every single pause is planned, is part of the art.”
Stand-up comics get instant response from the audience—they laugh or they don’t— while Barry experienced the delayed reaction of letters or emails from readers.
“I’m willing to take the wait,” he says. “I’d rather do that than stand up in front of an audience. I’m a writer, I’m mostly gonna do my humor in a laborious way. I’m funny, but I’m mostly not walking about making jokes. I’m really a normal person most of the time.”
“I’m really a normal person most of the time.”
“What stands out about Dave,” he says, “apart from the fact that he is the funniest human on earth, is his depth. He’s a brilliant guy—people don’t talk as often about how smart he is—and has learned about everything. That wide-ranging knowledge has contributed to real wisdom and abiding kindness.
“He’s had bumps in life, as the book shows, and that made him a deeply empathic person. He is a complete mensch.”
Barry has appeared on television, interviewed by Johnny Carson, Charlie Rose, Oprah and David Letterman. (On Letterman’s show, he demonstrated how the flint on the bottom of Rollerblade Barbie’s skates can literally set a pair of men’s underwear on fire.)
A Miami resident, he’s written Florida-inspired novels such as Insane City and Swamp Story. And
His process is just as painstaking as that of stand-up comics, though, honing and finessing what he initially writes.
“I rewrite and rewrite and rewrite,” he says “I’m a slow writer. It’s hard to write humor; you have to think of jokes, and that can take a long time. It can require staring at a screen for a long time. By the time I’ve got it to where I think I’ve executed it the best I can, I’ve gone over it so many times, [it no longer seems funny.]I knew the joke was funny [when I first wrote it.] Everything I write, by the time I’m ready to turn it in, I have to trust myself that it was funny, because I’ve developed a certain skill at that, a craft I’ve worked at.”
Readers who miss his weekly column and now follow him on his blog and on Substack, will welcome his memoir and enjoy revisiting the highlights of his career.
Barry is still making people laugh.
“It’s pretty much the only thing I know how to do,” he writes in his memoir. “It’s in my DNA. I’m a class clown.” •
Naples Author’s Gold Standard
WE’VE ALL HEARD or used the cliché, “The book was so good I could not put it down!” Well, Harry’s Gold, the new novel by first-time author Martinn E. Winters, is so good I could not put it down. I devoured all 410 pages in five days.
Winters paints a rich canvas that details the fascinating life of his real-life grandfather, Harry E. Winters, from the ages 17 through 64, covering the period in American history from 1896 through 1942. Harry’s life weaves through such fascinating eras in American life as the Gold Rush, Prohibition, the Great Depression and the First World War. The author intermixes Harry’s personal life with his interactions with such famous people as Jack London and Wyatt Earp.
Martinn ‘sticks the landing’ at the book’s conclusion, leaving this reader to contemplate the reality of the solution for days after, in a good way!
I caught up with the Naples, Florida, author to discuss his first novel.
•
Are you related to Harry E. Winters, the lead character in Harry’s Gold?
by Gary Mooney
fascinating story here!’ I am an ‘armchair historian’ and I love the periods of American history that overlaps Harry’s life, like the Gold Rush and Prohibition, so I decided to dedicate myself to the research necessary to tell Harry’s story.
Once I decided to write Harry’s Gold, I did so for two reasons: First, I hope the book educates today’s younger generations about the influential events in America during this time-frame. And secondly, as Harry proves time and again, no matter what life throws at you, you can pull yourself up by your bootstraps and make something out of nothing. Much of my inspiration for the style of Harry’s Gold comes from the late author, Gore Vidal, who was terrific in mixing actual events in American history with his characters.
You state that the book is based on a true story. How much of it is true and how much did you augment?
Much of my inspiration for the style of Harry’s Gold comes from the late author, Gore Vidal, who was terrific in mixing actual events in American history with his characters.
MARTINN E. WINTERS: Harry is my Grandfather, though I never knew him. Harry died in 1942 and I was not born until 1953. I heard stories about Harry, however, all the time while growing up, as he was a legend in our family.
In the Epilogue, you mention locating a treasuretrove of information on Harry in a storage facility; did that really occur?
The chest-full of documents is real. When my father, Norman, who is also a character in the book, passed away, he left it to my Mother who gave it to me. That is not very interesting, however, so I used a bit of a literary device to make it more dramatic. After all, Harry’s Gold is part true story and part fiction.
What was your inspiration for Harry’s Gold and how long did it take you to write it?
When we moved to Florida, we were downsizing and I came across the chest that overflowed with photographs and newspaper stories about Harry and thought, ‘there is a
I would say that 90% is true. All the main characters are real, with the exception of those in the Gold Rush miner’s camps, who are fiction and composites. The dialogue of course comes from me, as there is no way to know what they would say to each other in personal conversations, but much of that comes from my historical research on their lives, so even that comes from a strong historical bent.
It took me three years of research, then two years to write the book. My background is in technical writing, so doing a book like Harry’s Gold was all new to me, so I took two creative writing classes from Florida Gulf Coast University. In fact, the first two chapters were my class writing assignment!
You follow Harry’s life from ages 17 through 64. However, you concentrate roughly 60% of the book on his ages of 17 to roughly 19. Why did you focus so much on those two years?
The easiest answer is that is the period of Harry’s life that intrigued me the most, not only from my own personal historical preference, but by my research materials. This period was the foundation of what became Harry’s life, from how he grew up to his personal journey to the Yukon and beyond, and that was fascinating to me.
Harry’s life weaves through such fascinating eras in American life as the Gold Rush, Prohibition, the Great Depression and the First World War.
The person who helped me review the work in progress pointed out that this part of Harry’s life consumed 200 pages of what we hoped would be a roughly 400-page book, and said that at this rate, I would produce a 600-page novel. I felt that would be too long, so I accelerated the remainder of Harry’s life to keep the page count reasonable. There was a brief discussion over whether I had enough material to actually do a trilogy of books about Harry’s story, but in the end, I opted for this.
What type of feedback are you receiving?
What I constantly hear is that Harry’s Gold is much better than readers expect from a first-time author, that they enjoyed it much more than they thought they would, and that I should write a sequel—and I am giving some thought to that. Personally, I think it has a chance to move on to other types of media, so I am endeavoring to get it to the attention of the producers for Yellowstone and Wyatt Earp as well as to Kevin Costner, as it fits into the narrative of the Yellowstone prequels.
I found the ending surprising and amazing! Did you always plan to end it that way?
Since the book is part-fiction, I wanted to end it on a dramatic note. I wanted dramatic tension between Harry and some of the main characters in his life, with an ending that would grab the reader’s emotions. I had no preconception in the beginning about how the book would end, so I let the story bring the ending to me.
So, in the end, is Harry a good guy or a bad guy?
Harry was a product of his time, so he was neither a good guy nor a bad guy, just like Wyatt Earp was a lawman by day and made his money by being a saloon owner and gambler at night. One lesson that Wyatt taught Harry is that if you wear a badge during the day, that can protect you during a lot of nighttime activities.
I perceive Harry to be a Joe Kennedy-type
character on how to become an American success story; where he is so busy making himself a success in a combination of legal and shady ways, while sending his children to boarding schools then bringing them all home for Christmas to take an annual family portrait so that the world thinks you are the ideal family. Harry’s story in a sense is the narrative of what a successful American tycoon should look like during those times.
What was the best part about writing Harry’s Gold ?
I loved researching and writing the characters. I love that this was the last wide-open era in American history, where people lived their lives and made their living like there was no tomorrow. I love that it is full of historical time-frames, like the Stock Market Crash, the First World War and the Great Depression. I loved the sections about Harry in Davenport and running liquor down the Mississippi River and the nightlife of Bucktown, where you could get anything for a buck, and the boxing matches and Jazz Era.
The great thing about all of these things is that I read over 150 newspaper articles that
mention Harry and I found those sources compelling and fascinating.
What do you want readers to take from Harry’s Gold?
When you examine Harry’s life from beginning to end, you must be careful into whom you place your trust, because if you put your faith in the wrong people, there are consequences. That is a great lesson for us all to learn about life.
Anything else?
There is not a lot about Harry’s kids in the book and people ask me what happened to them and want to know about their life experiences, but I simply did not have the page space to go into their lives. If Harry’s Gold becomes popular, that could be another book, to examine them through the aftermath of Harry’s life.
From the historical viewpoint, I can further examine what happened to the nation as a whole from the Second World War forward.
Another important lesson in Harry’s Gold is the quote in the very beginning, from Wilson Mizner: “Be kind to everyone on the way up; you’ll meet the same people on the way down.”
Third, through writing this book, my Grandfather Harry became a real person to me.
Finally, Harry’s Gold to me is the story about the final frontier era in American history, where expansion occurred, with people moving west and starting their own farms, to those looking for various different types of freedoms, to people like Harry, who were following their dreams through the Gold Rushes that took Americans to the Bering Straight, as far west as you could possibly go. This journey ended the expansion era and ushered in the empire one. People who came out of the expansion era were in many ways larger than life and Harry was absolutely one of those giants. •
Harry’s Gold is independently published. It is available through Amazon.
Real-life Harry and his wife, Fay.
CAPE CORAL Gather
High Tide Social House
Nauti Mermaid at the Westin
Cape Coral
CAPTIVA
The Green Flash
Captiva Civic Center ‘Tween Waters
Island Resort & Spa
CAPTIVA
September 19-21
Bobby Tomberlin
Sheena Brook
Grace Leer
Jimmy Nichols
Jim McCormick
Jeffrey East
Dylan Alyman
Frank Myers
Audrey Spillman
Clint Daniels
John Ellison
Ruby Amanfu
Lance Miller
Sam Ashworth
Sarah Buxton
Tim James
September 22 & 23 LoCash
Lilly MacPhee
Frank Myers
Billy McKnight
Tim James
Ruby Amanfu
Essex County
Race Ricketts
Alex Miller
Tim James Jim McCormick
Clint Daniels Erick Willis
Sheena Brook
John Ellison Katrina Cain
High Tide Social House
The Green Flash
FORT MYERS
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS
September 24 & 25
Essex County
Alex Rohan
Julianne Ankley
Chris Young
Pink Shell Pool Party
SEPTEMBER 28
FORT MYERS BEACH
September 26-28
Chris Young
Claudia Hoyser
Danny Myrick
Chloe Caroline
Angie K Bryan Ruby
Alex
Miller Adam Craig
Brian Sutherland
Dave Pananish
Robinson Treacher
Race Ricketts
Matt Warren
The Reed Brothers
Erick
Willis Jason Byrd
Katrina Cain
Kurt Stevens
Sheena Brook
Megan Linville
Lucky Screw
Luminary Hotel & Co.
FORT MYERS BEACH
Margaritaville Beach Resort
Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina
Nervous Nellie’s Diamondhead Beach Resort
Matanzas on the Bay
Bryan Ruby Angie K
Bobby Tomberlin
Audrey Spillman
Dylan Altman
Claudia Hoyser
Danny Myrick
Megan Linville
Grace Leer
Frank Myers
Matt Warren
Lucky Screw
Pink Shell Resort
“I wanted to explore those three themes in his work that I hadn’t really done so before: Faith, Class, and Politics.”
A Deeper Side of the Boss
THERE HAVE BEEN numerous articles and books written about rock icon Bruce Springsteen over his career. Springsteen himself penned his own critically acclaimed best-selling memoir, Born To Run back in 2016. But few, if any, have delved into three common themes throughout his discography dating back to 1973’s debut, Greetings From Asbury Park
Author and scholar, June Skinner Sawyers’ latest book on ‘The Boss’ (her fifth on the artist) is entitled We Take Care of Our Own: Faith, Class and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen (R utge R s u nive R sity P R ess ) . It’s one Sawyers says offers a new perspective on the musician and his rich discography.
“I thought I had said everything there was to say about him, by myself at least,” Sawyers says during a late April phone interview. “But I wanted to explore those three themes in his work that I hadn’t really done so before: Faith, Class, and Politics. I just wanted to write about those three themes in particular for this book.”
Sawyers says she deems those three aspects to be the most critical and pivotal to Springsteen’s work, describing the artist as a “complicated patriot who sees his country through gray-col ored glasses.”
“They are the most important and significant themes in his work, especially Faith,” Sawyers says. “He grew up Catholic, but he says he always believed not in the dogma of the church—he didn’t believe in that—but in the rituals of the church. So as a non-Catholic, as a Scottish Presbyterian, I found his interest and his fascina tion with the rituals of the church he grew up in something that I couldn’t put down.”
The germ of the book started back in 2013 when Sawyers wrote an original essay. That essay was later fleshed out with an additional 50-75 more pages as Sawyers “wanted to update it” to include Springsteen On Broadway , the residency of over 260 solo performances Springsteen did from October 2017 through September 2021, performing at two different venues (Walter Kerr Theatre and St. James Theatre). The performance was later captured in a Netflix film of the same name. Sawyers also wanted his latest album of original material, 2020’s Letter To You , to be included.
“I just tried to explore, in my way of
by Jason MacNeil
approaching it, different aspects of his life through the lens of the cultural history that I put together, including the works of artists like (American realism painter) Edward Hopper and how Edward Hopper influenced his work,” Sawyers says. “So that was a different angle of approaching Springsteen’s music.”
Although the book doesn’t take a chronological approach, most of Springsteen’s landmark works are analyzed, particularly blue-collar staples such as ‘Working On The Highway’ and ‘Youngstown’ while also discussing albums such as Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad. Springsteen has always seemed to capture the working class so vividly regardless of the decade he found himself in. It’s something Sawyers says began with his childhood in New Jersey, and particularly the relationship Springsteen had with his father, a man who Sawyers says was “unhappy in his life and in his work.”
“I think it was something he grew up
Part of Springsteen’s appeal is creating songs that have as much resonance today as they did when they were first recorded, some a half century old or more.
in a working class community in Freehold, New Jersey, so it’s something that’s just an innate part of him,” she says. “Even though he never actually worked or lived the working life. But he sang about the working life, even though he didn’t work. It was his father who was a working class man.
“But I think that was Springsteen’s way of getting closer to his father. He said numerous times over the years that whenever he put his work shirt on, he was emulating his father. He also considered just going and performing on stage; it was a job. It was part of his job. And that was a very import ant detail, I think. That was Springsteen’s way of coping with his own father’s life and work. Or lack thereof.”
The book also explores Springsteen’s relationship with religion in his work, particularly the Catholic Church and ideas of compassion and empathy. “Springsteen doesn’t promise to take away the pain—no one can do that—but he does remind us we are not alone in our suffer ing,” she writes.
“I think the rituals and just the story of the church appealed to him so much,” she says. “And through the rituals of the church and the stories that came down through the centuries. I think it had a profound influence on him. I think that comes through in his songs, songs like ‘The Rising,’ about New York City after 9/11, and ‘My City of Ruins,’ which is about his adopted city of Asbury Park.
showmanship aspect. He wants to entertain people on stage, and the Protestant brimstone preacher type with a great sense of humor seems for him the best way of doing that. So he’s not lecturing at you. He’s bringing you into the congregation.”
Politics have also been at the forefront of Springsteen’s artistic muse, whether sensitively dealing with September 11 (‘The Rising’), the Gulf War (‘Devils & Dust”’), economic hardships (‘Death To My Hometown’) or racial profiling (‘American Skin - 41 Shots).’ And that just scratches the
Part of Springsteen’s appeal is creating songs that have as much resonance today as they did when they were first recorded, some a half century old or more.
in her book, We Take Care of Our Own are captured equally well whether looking at Springsteen’s solo albums like Nebraska , The Ghost of Tom Joad , and Devils & Dust or landmarks with the E Street Band such as Born In The USA , Born To Run , The River , and The Rising
“I think they can do both; he does both sides,” she says. “I think either way is fine. I think he can accommodate both sides, whether solo or with his band.”
Given the current political climate in the United States, with threats of annexation of some countries and territories and an isolationist approach by the President, some might feel Springsteen could see the current social, cultural and economic turbulence as a catalyst for new material. His current European tour has opened with statements opposing the “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” Trump administration. Although only Springsteen and his inner circle may know his next move, Sawyers feels that’s less of a certainty.
“In recent years, he’s turned more inward as I suggested in the book,” she says. “His last political album really was Wrecking Ball Letter To You was more personal as well, and he also went back to some of his older songs on that. Revive some of his earlier works. So I don’t know. We’ll see in the coming years as far as new material goes.”
The author says she’s been pleased with the response to the book. She’s done some book signings and also participated in a special lecture via Zoom from the Springsteen Archives at Monmouth University.
“I just can’t emphasize enough the importance of the Catholic church on his music. Especially ‘Jesus Was An Only Son’ and songs like that that are very important aspects of his faith-based politics.”
The church-like missive and feeling can be felt not just in his albums, but also during his legendary shows. Springsteen’s still on the road this spring and summer, with 16 European stadium stops that began in Manchester in May and wraps up in Milan in early July. And each gig has moments of spine-tingling, hair-raising, other-worldly joy. But Sawyers says that almost religious fervor delivered to tens of thousands each night is slightly different.
“It’s in a different sort of way because on stage he’s more of the Protestant preacher and less the Catholic priest,” she says. “So that’s sort of ironic. And I think that’s because of the
“I think that helps as well as just telling great stories in songs,” Sawyers says. “‘My Hometown,’ and most anybody can— no matter where they are in the world—can identify with those types of songs. But I think the faith-based songs appeal to many people. Then again, others just like the ‘rah rah’ songs like ‘Dancing In The Dark’ or ‘Hungry Heart,’ which are his two biggest hits.
The author describes Springsteen as a “complicated patriot who sees his country through gray-colored glasses.”
“So I think in that sense there are two general types of Springsteen fans: those that just want the fun Bruce and those who want the fun Bruce, but can also appreciate the serious Bruce.”
Sawyers believes the themes touched on
Sawyers isn’t sure if Springsteen or those in his inner circle have read the book, but hopes he will if he hasn’t. She is also quite eager to see the material Springsteen is releasing in Tracks II: The Lost Albums, an incredible 7-CD, 9-LP collection released in June. The 83-song release begins with the LA Garage Sessions ‘83 and spans a large swath of Springsteen’s career since then. Other albums include Faithless, Perfect World, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, and Somewhere North of Nashville Sawyers says with hindsight being 20/20, she obviously would’ve loved to push back the book’s release in order to dive into this trove of upcoming music. And she has another idea for her sixth Springsteen book. In the meantime, Sawyers hopes readers take away the depth and complexity of both Springsteen the man and his music.
“Just what a complicated person he is,” she says. “A complicated lyricist. And also that his works, I would say, are timeless.” •
A New Kind of Country Music
AUTHOR GEOFRREY HIMES’ new book, In-Law Country (University of illinois Press) is a detailed examination and exhaustive critical analysis of the creative evolution of a close group of independent artists and the development of a new genre in music, focusing primarily on the late-70s albums by Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and Rosanne Cash, along with albums by Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, and Carlene Carter.
These artists, as comfortable in the studios of Nashville as the clubs in college towns, created music that was the precursor to what evolved into what is now called ‘Americana’ music — a mix of a reverence for the songwriting traditions of country & western and folk music with energy and rhythms of rockabilly, blues and bluegrass.
by Andrew Elias
You trace the origins of ‘In-Law’ country music all the way back to The Byrds and Gram Parsons. Can you explain to younger readers and music fans why they were so important at a time when rock & roll was more enamored with the ‘British Invasion’?
The Byrds were as enamored by the Beatles as anyone, but they were smart enough to dig much deeper into the jangly lyricism of the Fab Four to the American country and folk roots that inspired the Liverpudlians’ covers of Carl Perkins and Buck Owens. The Byrds also connected the breakthrough lyrics of Dylan to the breakthrough music of the Beatles. The In-Law Country artists took this example and ran with it.
“Outlaw Country chronicled the male loner out on the road having adventures by himself. In-Law Country chronicled couples staying home and trying to make their marriages work. “
The book has been published, coincidently, at the same time that Willie Nelson has released a new album, a collection of Rodney Crowell songs he has not previously recorded. Crowell is releasing a new album in August.
I asked Himes, about his new book and the country music sound that became today’s Americana music.
•
How would you succinctly sum up what In-Law country music is?
GEOFFREY HIMES: Country music had traditionally been a music of working-class adults in rural and smalltown America and addressed their struggles to pay bills, stay sober and keep their marriages together. In the ‘70s, as many of the original fans’ children graduated from college and entered careers and marriages based on more egalitarian principles, they needed a different kind of marriage music. In-Law Country fulfilled that need.
What made you decide to research and write about this particular music genre and these artists?
I’d been interviewing and reviewing these artists for years and as I learned all their personal and professional links, I realized this was a cohesive movement that deserved to be recognized as such. All it needed was a catchy name, and I came up with one.
In addition to being influenced by the countryrock of The Byrds & Burrito Brothers, ‘In-Law’ country music was inspired by ‘The Outlaws’ of country music: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard—artists with both Nashville and Texas bonafides. How did the music and experiences of the Outlaws inspire the In-Laws? What are their personal connections?
The personal connections are obvious. Johnny Cash was Rosanne’s father and thus Rodney’s father-in-law, and he recorded several songs with her and several others by him. Emmylou recorded songs written by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, and got her big break early on by opening a national tour with Willie. But just as important as the similarities are the differences. Outlaw Country chronicled the male loner out on the road having adventures by himself. In-Law Country chronicled couples staying home and trying to make their marriages work. The music as well as the lyrics reflected that sharp contrast.
In-Law country music was also influenced by Texan songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. How important were they to the younger songwriters like Rodney Crowell and Steve Earle?
Townes and Guy often held court in West Nashville
“I see Emmylou Harris as the linchpin. Nearly everyone in the book either sang with her, played with her and/or wrote songs for her.”
at late-night song swaps, and youngsters such as Rodney and Steve soaked up their high standards of songwriting craftsmanship and substance. Those standards were passed on to everyone else in the movement.
You say that In-Law country music really started with the release of Emmylou Harris’ Pieces of a Sky album in 1975. Why? What was so special about that album?
It was her first nationally distributed album under her own name and her first with producer Brian Ahern. It was different enough from Gram Parsons’s final two solo albums, on which Emmy had a big role, to mark the birth of a new movement. It was the big bang of In-Law Country.
In many ways, the story of In-Law country music revolves around Rodney Crowell—as songwriter, band leader, and husband. How was he central to the acceptance and success of the genre?
Rodney was important, but I see Emmylou Harris as the linchpin. Nearly everyone else in the book either sang with her, played with her and/or wrote songs for her. Rodney and Ricky Skaggs served apprenticeships in her band and went on to put their own twist on that template.
Many people know the music of Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, and Steve Earle, but most have no idea who Brian Ahern is—and he plays a big part in the In-Law country music sound. Who is he, why was he so important, and what is the ‘Ahern sound’?
It was Brian Ahern who created the distinctive ‘In-Law Country Sound,’ those uncluttered, sharply focused arrangements that gave acoustic and electric instruments equal weight and made sure the lyrics were always heard. This was not only different from the Urban Cowboy sound on country radio at the time, but also from
the California Country Rock of the Eagles and Burritos, and the Outlaw Country of Willie & Waylon. Several musicians who worked closely with Brian on Emmy’s records—Rodney Crowell, Tony Brown, Emory Gordy and Ricky Skaggs— went on to become producers themselves and spread that sound far and wide.
Have you heard Willie Nelson’s new album, Oh What a Beautiful World? It’s a collection of Rodney Crowell songs he has not previously recorded. What’s your opinion of the album?
As it so happens, my next book, Willie Nelson: All the Albums—The Stories Behind the Music, was finished and in the copy-editing stage when I got an advance copy of Oh What a Beautiful World. I immediately recognized it as one of Willie’s best songwriter-tribute albums, right up there with his tributes to Kris Kristofferson and Cindy Walker. So I convinced my editor to add three paragraphs saying that at the end of the book.
If you had to choose just five albums of In-Law country music to recommend to readers, which would they be?
Emmylou Harris’ Elite Hotel and Blue Kentucky Girl, Rosanne Cash’s Seven Year Ache, Rodney Crowell’s Rodney Crowell, and Ricky Skaggs’ Highways & Heartaches •
Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris
Everglades University
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Orlando Campus
850 Trafalgar Court • suite 100 • Maitland • 407-277-0311
Online Division
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The mission of Everglades University is to provide quality education to adult learners of diverse backgrounds in a collaborative environment where everyone can achieve personal growth. Everglades University is a not-for-profit university offering graduate and undergraduate degree programs that prepare students to enter and advance in their desired fields of study. The University combines small classes and innovative programs with traditional academic values, delivering programs both on campus and online, all taught by well-qualified and experienced faculty, focused on preparation for employment and careers. This student-first mentality has always been part of their culture supporting each student’s individual needs.
Florida SouthWestern State College
Lee Campus
8099 College Parkway • Fort Myers • 239-489-9300
Collier Campus 7505 Grand Lely Blvd. • Naples • 239-732-3700
Charlotte Campus
26300 Airport Rd. • Punta Gorda • 941-637-5629
Hendry/Glades Curtis Center 1092 E. Cowboy Way • LaBelle • 863-674-0408 fsw.edu
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is the largest and most affordable college in Southwest Florida. With campuses and a center in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and LaBelle as well as FSW Online options, FSW serves nearly 19,000 students annually. Tuition begins at $3,401 per year for full-time enrollment, and 77% of FSW students graduate debt free. Students experience an active student life and study abroad opportunities. With new cybersecurity and entrepreneurship programs and more than 60 other certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree options, FSW students can go straight into the workforce or transfer to a university following graduation.
Ringling College of Art and Design
2700 N. Tamiami Trail • Sarasota 941-351-5100
ringling.edu
Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 11 disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. For more information, visit ringling.edu and follow the College on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Bradenton Campus
5840 26th Street West • Bradenton Lakewood Ranch Campus
7131 Professional Parkway • Sarasota Venice Campus
8000 South Tamiami Trail • Venice 941-752-5000 scf.edu
Founded in 1957, SCF is the region’s first and largest public college, serving more than 11,000 students annually at campuses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and online. Students can earn two- and four-year degrees, workforce certificates, and non-credit career credentials. Dual enrollment is available for local high school students to earn tuition-free college credits, and SCF also operates charter schools for grades 6-12 in Bradenton and 9-12 in Venice. Serving as an economic engine for the region, SCF keeps a finger on the pulse of employers’ workforce needs and adjusts programs and resources to promote local development.
July
TUESDAY 1
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
WEDNESDAY 2
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Movie Lovers Club: Meeting. Alliance for the Arts, North Bldg, 10091 McGregor Bvd, Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 357-7155.
THURSDAY 3
•Mario Ramil: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 8p. 389-6901.
•Mike Imbasciani: & BluezRockerz: Blues band. Nauti Parrot Oasis, 17200 S Tamaimi Tr, Cape Coral. 6-9p. Free. 941-646-2489.
FRIDAY 4
•4th of July All-American Cookout: BBQ, games, activities, fireworks. Marie Selby Botanical Garden, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. 5:309:30p. 941-366-5731.
•4th of July Parade & Fireworks: Parade down Estero Blvd to Times Square 10-11a, fireworks over Times Square 9p. Ft Myers Beach. 6-10p. 948-3766.
•4th of July Rooftop Bash: Live music, bbq, view fireworks. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 7-11p. 333-1933.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery, Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. Free. 590-8645.
•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Calossa River Band: Concert & fireworks. Calusa Sound Amphitheater, Luminary Hotel, 2101 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 314-3723.
•FC Naples vs Tampa Bay
The Betty Fox Band performs July 11 at the Buckingham Blues Bar in Fort Myers.
Rowdies: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7:30p. 933-5335.
•Fireworks on the Pier: Naples Pier, 12th Ave S, Naples. 9-10p. Free. 692-8436.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Freedom Fest: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
•Freedom Fest: Live music, kids zone, fireworks. Along Hendry St btwn Bay St & Edwards Dr, downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p, fireworks 9:30p. Free.
•Open Mic Night: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 9:30p. 4795233.
•Red, White & Boom: Independence Day Celebration. Live music, kids entertainment, fireworks. Cape Coral Bridge, Cape Coral. Trollies available. 5-10p. Free. 948-3766.
SATURDAY 5
•Art Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball Bark in the Park - dogs welcome. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Tasting the Tropics: Tours, demos, activities, tastings tropical fruits. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9a5p. 643-7275.
SUNDAY 6
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues
Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
TUESDAY 8
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 3944221.
•Steel Pulse: Reggae concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
WEDNESDAY 9
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
•Steve-O: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.
THURSDAY 10
•Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 692-8436.
•Jazz Thursday: Jazz concert. Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College, 1001 S Tamiami T, Sarasota. 5:308p. 941-309-4300.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries.
Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 2491977.
•Steve-O: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.
•Yacht Rock Gold: Tribute concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
FRIDAY 11
•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 939-2787.
•Art Reception: Cape Coral Art Center, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 574-0802.
•BettyFox : Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•Rusty Wright Band: Rock concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. 10TwentyFive, 1025 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. 8-11p. 829-0407.
•Yappy Hour: Happy hour w dogs, live entertainment. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.
•Zoltan Kaszas: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.
SATURDAY 12
•Family Day: Ice Cream Social. rafts, games, activities. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 11a-2p. Free. 2528476.
•Family Fun Day: Arts & crafts, costumes, food. Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 10a-1p. 941-4857136.
•FC Naples vs Westchester: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7:30p. 933-5335.
•Kristy Lee: Americana concert, Kevin John Allen opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•MangoMania: Food fest, recipe & eating contests, tastings, music, arts & crafts, kids’ activities, educational, presentations, plant sale; Sheena Brook concert 2p. Winn Dixie Plaza, 9940 Stringfellow Rd, St James City. 9a-5p. Free. 283-0888.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free.
•Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art
EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
What Goes On
JULY-AUGUST SEPTEMBER
What Goes On
Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941363-1724.
•Summer at the Cottage: Self-guided tours, games, kids activities, refreshments.
Naples Historical Society Historic, Palm Cottage, 137 12th Ave S, Naples. 12-4p. Free. 261-8164.
•Zoltan Kaszas: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 80p. 389-6901.
SUNDAY 13
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Meet Clyde & Niki Butcher: Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 10a-3p. Free.6952428.
•Zoltan Kaszas: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6p. 389-6901.
WEDNESDAY 16
•(R)evolution of Opera: Konstanin Soukhovetskistorytelling, multimedia, music. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Jim Florentine: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
•RC Smith: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.
THURSDAY 17
•Exhibition Reception: Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 5:30-7p. Free. 2528476.
•Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance: Orchid club meeting. Naples Conference Center, 1455 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. 6:30-8:30p. Free. 269-6389.
•Jim Florentine: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
•Lecture: You’re in Skunk Ape Country. Museum of the Everglades, 105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 2p. Free. 695-0008.
•RC Smith: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.
•Reggae Sunset Jam: Live music. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art
Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
FRIDAY 18
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Daytona Tortugas: Minor league baseball Post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
•Rafi Bastos: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 389-6901.
SATURDAY 19
•Commotion: Creedence
Clearwater Revival tribute band. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Exhibition Reception: Immokalee Pioneer Museum, 1215 Roberts Ave, Immokalee. 10a-12p. Free. 252-2611.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Daytona Tortugas: Minor league baseball. Post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker. St Hilary’s Church, 5011 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. executives@gulfwriters.org.
•Rafi Bastos: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
•Seminole Artist Experience: Art show & sale, demos, poetry readings. Seminole Tribe of Florida. Presented by Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. Seminole Casino Hotel, Immokalee Seminole Center, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 11a5p. Free. 863-902-1113.
SUNDAY 20
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Daytona Tortugas: Minor league baseball. Post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Kevin McDonald: Comedy. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 7p. 323-6570.
WEDNESDAY 23
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham
Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Open Mic: Live music, comedy, poetry, storytelling. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
THURSDAY 24
•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-6398810.
•Emily Ann Thompson: Irish music. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Erma Bombeck - At Wit’s End: Comedy. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center, 1099 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 784-1186.
•Family Fun Night: Live music, dance demos, crafts, games, mini zoo w exotic animals. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 318-8560.
•Indie Music Night: Live music - band tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Meet Clyde & Niki Butcher: Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio, 237 Warfield Ave S, Venice. 4-7p. Free. 941-486-0811.
•Shades of Buble: Michael Buble tribute concert. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 5971900.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. Jug Creek Marina & Fish House, 16498 Tortuga St, Bokeelia. 5:30-8:30p. Free. 283-3331.
•Zach Bartholomew: Jazz concert - Oscar Meets Ella. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
FRIDAY 25
•Art After Five: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 249-1977.
•Art Reception: Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 5-7p. Free. 941-4857136.
•Erma Bombeck - At Wit’s End: Comedy. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center, 1099 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 784-1186.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball Postgame fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance: Opera Naples Summer Youth Program. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7p. 963-9050.
•JP Soars: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. Bone Hook Brewing, 1514 Immokalee Rd, Naples. 6-9p. Free. 631-8522.
•The Power of Love: Huey Lewis & The News tribute concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
Zach Bartholomew performs at Arts Bonita’s Performing Arts Center in Bonita Springs on July 24, August 21 & September 11.
SATURDAY 26
•Betty Fox Band: Blues concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Erma Bombeck - At Wit’s End: Comedy. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center, 1099 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 784-1186.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Fort Myers Roller Derby vs SoFlo Ridas: Female roller derby. Ft Myers Skatium, 2250 Bwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 482-7789.
•Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance: Opera Naples Summer Youth Program. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7p. 963-9050.
•Johnny Mac, Larry Venturino, Grant Toliver: Comedy. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 9p. 323-6570.
•Keith Rea: Americana concert, Ray Boone opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Patrick Lamb: Jazz concert w Deborah Silver. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Pineapple Fest: Live music, food trucks, beverages, plant sales, contest – Roots Almighty 11a-2p. Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Garden, 5827 Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda. 9a-2p. 941-621-8299.
SUNDAY 27
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111. •Coronation - Music Inspired by Royalty: Key Chorale concert. Church of Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota. 4p. 941-552-8768.
•Erma Bombeck - At Wit’s End: Comedy. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center, 1099 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 784-1186.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance: Opera Naples Summer Youth Program. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 2p. 963-9050.
•Kabeto: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 6p. 389-6901.
MONDAY 28
•Sarah Lemos: Medium. Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.
TUESDAY 29
•Kenny Washington: All That Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
WEDNESDAY 30
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Pedro Gonzalez & Charlie Mac: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 3896901.
THURSDAY 31
•Cirque du Soleil - Ovo: Acrobatics & music. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•Comedy Hour: Comedian tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 7-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Josh Wolf: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
•Mark Sanders: Broadway Classics cabaret concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
Aug
FRIDAY 1
•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 939-2787.
•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 337-5050.
•Art Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery, Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. 590-8645.
•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft
Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 11a-4p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Rd Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Behind the Scenes of the Reserve: Tours. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 9a-4p. 530-5977.
•Cirque du Soleil - Ovo: Acrobatics & music. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•First Friday: Neil Diamond tribute band in courtyard. Gulf Coast Town Center, 10037 Gulf Center Dr, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 267-5107.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Postgame fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Josh Wolf: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 389-6901.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. 10TwentyFive, 33 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 2086903.
SATURDAY 2
•Albert Castiglia: Blues concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.
•Cirque du Soleil - Ovo: Acrobatics & music. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 3 & 7p. 948-7825.
•Encore - A Decade of Showstoppers: Concert. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft
Myers. 7:30p. 939-2787.
•Family Day: Crafts, games, activities. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 11a-2p. Free. 252-8476.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Josh Wolf: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
•Stage 2 Improv: Comedy. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 404-5198.
SUNDAY 3
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Brian Kelley: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Cirque du Soleil - Ovo: Acrobatics & music. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 1 & 5p. 948-7825.
•Encore - A Decade of Showstoppers: Concert. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 2p. 939-2787.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
TUESDAY 5
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
•Fort Myers Mighty
Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
WEDNESDAY 6
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•FC Naples vs South Georgia Tormenta: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7:30p. 933-5335.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Movie Lovers Club: Meeting. Alliance for the Arts, North Bldg, 10091 McGregor Bvd, Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 357-7155.
THURSDAY 7
•Art Reception: Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 5:30-7p. Free. 530-5977.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Mike Imbasciani: & BluezRockerz: Blues band. Nauti Parrot Oasis, 17200 S Tamaimi Tr, Cape Coral. 6-9p. Free. 941-646-2489.
•Moonlight on the Boardwalk: Guided boardwalk tour, kids storytime, activities. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6:309:30p. Register. 348-9151.
•Riley Green: Rock concert, Ella Langley, Lauren Watkins, Preston Cooper open.. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
FRIDAY 8
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. 10TwentyFive, 1025 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. 8-11p. 829-0407.
•The Bob Band: Bob Dylan tribute band. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. xxp. 597-1900.
•The Molly Ringwalds: 80s tribute band. Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater, 1375 Monroe St, Ft Myers. 321-8110.
•Yappy Hour: Happy hour w dogs, live entertainment. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.
SATURDAY 9
•FC Naples vs Texoma: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7:30p. 933-5335.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free.
•Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941363-1724.
•Plies Day: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 8p. 948-7825.
SUNDAY 10
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Clearwater Threshers: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Matty – An Evening with Christy Mathewson: Concert. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 2p. 939-2787.
TUESDAY 12
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.
WEDNESDAY 13
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Rachmaninoff & Scriabin: Konstanin Soukhovetskistorytelling, multimedia, music. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.
•RC Smith: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
The exhibition, ‘Robert McCabe: Images of an Enchanted World’ is on view thru August 3 at Naples Art Institute in Naples
Sept
TUESDAY 2
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Jonnie W: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
WEDNESDAY 3
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Jonnie W: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.
•Movie Lovers Club: Meeting. Alliance for the Arts, North Bldg, 10091 McGregor Bvd, Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 357-7155.
THURSDAY 4
•Disney on Ice: Ice show. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Mike Imbasciani: & BluezRockerz: Blues band. Nauti Parrot Oasis, 17200 S Tamaimi Tr, Cape Coral. 6-9p. Free. 941-646-2489.
•Nashville Brass: Country music concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•The Australian Pink Floyd Show: Tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Valerie Storm: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.
FRIDAY 5
•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 337-5050.
•Art Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. Free. 590-8645.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Disney on Ice: Ice show. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•First Friday: Elton John tribute band in courtyard. Gulf Coast Town Center, 10037 Gulf Center Dr, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 267-5107.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. post-game fireworks. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Open House: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 10a-2p. Free. 941-6398810.
•Valerie Storm: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.
SATURDAY 6
•Disney on Ice: Ice show. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 11a, 3 & 7p. 948-7825.
•FC Naples vs Greenville Triumph: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Nate Currin: Americana concert, Carlene Thissen opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Open House: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 10a-2p. Free. 941-6398810.
•Valerie Storm: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 9p. 4795233.
SUNDAY 7
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Disney on Ice: Ice show. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 1 & 5p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond
Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
TUESDAY 9
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.
•Zach Bartholomew Trio: Jazz concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
WEDNESDAY 10
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
THURSDAY 11
•Chase Bryant: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 692-8436.
•Jazz Thursday: Jazz concert. Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College, 1001 S Tamiami T, Sarasota. 5:308p. 941-309-4300.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Tom Shillue: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100,
Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
•Zach Bartholomew: Jazz concert - Dave Brubeck’s Time Out. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
FRIDAY 12
•Art Reception: Cape Coral Art Center, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 574-0802.
•Eddie Griffin: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Sheena Brook: Concert. 10TwentyFive, 1025 Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. 8-11p. 829-0407.
•Tom Shillue: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 389-6901.
•Yappy Hour: Happy hour w dogs, live entertainment. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.
SATURDAY 13
•Folk & Flutter Butterfy Fest: Live music, food trucks, beverages, plant sales, kids activities – Mike Imbasciani 12-2p. Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Garden, 5827 Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda. 9a-2p. 941-621-8299.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free.
•Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941363-1724.
•The Magic of Motown:
Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.
•Tom Shillue: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
SUNDAY 14
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
WEDNESDAY 17
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•FGCU Wind Orchestra: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•RC Smith: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.
THURSDAY 18
•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-6398810.
•Decyo McDuffie: Jazz vocalist. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•FGCU Symphonic Band: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance: Orchid club meeting. Naples Conference Center, 1455 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. 6:30-8:30p. Free. 269-6389.
•James Yon: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.
FRIDAY 19
•Cooper Alan: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.
•James Yon: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 479-5233.
•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
SATURDAY 20
•Gulf Coast Writers
Con Brio Quartet perform August 21 at Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point in Fort Myers.
Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Today’s Forecast… Murder: Jul 9-Sep 7: Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.
Art Galleries
•Aldo Castillo Gallery: 1634 5th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sun 11a-7p. 312-375-8887.
•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Main Gallery— Jul 11-26: FSW Student Show; Aug 1-Sep 27: Nancy Richards Farese. Theatre Gallery— Jul 1126: Summer Camp; Aug 1-Sep 27: Julio Gonzalez Batista. Member Gallery— Jul 11-26: Berry Maria Van Boekel; Aug 1-Sep 27: Members Photography. Receptions 1st Fri 5-7p. Tue-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-1p. 939-2787.
•Arsenault Studio & Banyan Arts Gallery: Judith Liegeois Designs, 1199 3rd St, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-1214.
•Art Center Sarasota: 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Thru Aug 2: Vice & Virtue; Aug 21-Sep 27: Self Portraits; Aug 21-Sep 27: Jacob Z Wan; Aug 21-Sep 27: Youth Group Show; Aug 21-Sep 27: Dorothea Calvert. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sar 12-5p. 941-365-2032.
•Art Lab: Naples Art District, 1819 J&C Blvd, Naples. 646358-2531.
•Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center: 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru Jul 31: Paul Vincent - Oasis of Notions. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-2p. 495-8989.
•Arts Bonita Visual Arts Center: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. thru Jul 10: The Art of Abstraction; thru Jul 10: Time & Light
- Michael Tranovich; Jul 17-Aug 29: A Way with Words; Jul 17-Aug 29: Jennifer Unwin - No Boundaries. MonSat 10a-5p. 495-8989.
•Arts for ACT Gallery: Jul 4-28: Donna Chase; Aug 1-28: Quinn Sedam; Sep 5-29: Pam Trent; 2265 First St, Ft Myers. Daily 12-8p. 337-5050.
•Arts of the Inland Gallery: LaBelle Gallery & Cultural Center, 471 N Lee St, LaBelle. Fri-Sun 1-5p. Closed Jul-Sep. 863-843-2929
•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Thru Fall 2025: Sketches, Studies & Maquettes; thru Nov 30: Entangled in the Mangroves. Guided tours Tue-Sat 11a & Sun 1p. Art After Hours: Free last Wed 6-9p - live music, food, drinks. Free Sun thru Aug 31. Tue-Sat 10a-4p, Sun 12-4p. 597-1900.
•Bayshore Art Gallery: 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Receptions 1st Fri, 5-8p. TueSat 11a-5p. 778-4665.
•BIG ARTS: 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Thru Jul 25: FSW Student Exhibit. Mon-Fri 9a4p, Sat & Sun 9a-1p. 395-0900.
•Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex: FSW State College, Humanities Hall, 8099 College Pkwy SW, Ft Myers. Thru Aug 2: William S Burroughs & David Bradshaw - Seven Deadly Sins. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 11a-3p. 489-9313.
•Cape Coral Art Center: Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral.
Jul 5-Aug 28: Marine Life Like Ours; Aug 8-Sep 25: Amanda Zirzow. Sep 5-25: Pictures of Joy. Mon-Sat 9a4p. Receptions second Fri of month. 574-0802.
•Cape Coral Art League: 516 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Mon-Thu 11a-4p. Receptions 1st Thu. Open painting Wed 1-4p. Meetings 1st Mon 11a. Closed Aug. 772-5657.
•Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery: 52388 Tamiami Tr, Ochopee. Daily 10a-4:30p. 695-2428.
•Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio: 237 Warfield Ave, Venice. Tue-Fri 10a-4:30p. 486-0811.
•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL gallery. Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. Receptions 1st Wed 5-7p. TueSun 11a-5p. 949-3073.
•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL gallery. Coastland Center, 1924 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Receptions 2nd Wed 5-7p. Wed-Sun 12-6p. 4363530.
•Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery: ARCOS Gallery, 340 Central Ave, Sarasota. Jul 1-Aug 31: artists-in-residence; Sep 1-Oct 31: artists-inresidence. Open studio: 2nd Sat 11a-3p. Thu-Sat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Gallery: 901-B Apricot Ave, Sarasota. Open studio: 2nd Sat 11a-3p. ThuSat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy: 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. Thu-Sat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Jul 4-28: In Our Own Words. 10051 McGregor Blvd, #104, Ft Myers. Wed-Sun 10a-2p. Receptions 1st Fri 6-10p. 955-0422.
•East West Fine Art: Mercato, 9115 Strada Pl, #5130, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 12-6p. 821-9459.
•Emily James Art Gallery: 720 5th Ave S, # 111, Naples. Mon 3-7p, Tue & Wed 11a-7p, Sat 11a8p, Sun 12-5p. 777-3283.
•Englewood Art Center: Ringling College of Art & Design, 350 S McCall Rd, Englewood. Tue & Thu 9a-9p, Wed-Sat 9a-4p. 941474-5548.
•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Wasmer Gallery–Aug 29-Sep 25: Making a Clear Mark - Morgan T Paine. Arts Complex Lobby— Aug -Jul2026: Crumbs. Outside Arts Complex— thru Oct 2025: Paul Firmin Public Art Project. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 590-7199.
•Florida Gulf Coast University Wilson Bradshaw
Library: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., 3rd fl, Ft Myers. Aug 18-Dec 12: Claire Van Vliet. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 590-7199.
•Fort Myers Beach Art Association & Gallery: Cypress Square, 13451 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Jul 7-30: Fireworks; Aug 1-19: Summer Sizzle; Aug 21-Sep 19: Anything Goes; Sep 25Oct 24: Plein Air. Thru Jul 19: Ripples at Tribby Art Center, Shell Point. Thu-Sat 12-6p. 463-3909.
•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. 403-7787.
•Grand Illusion Gallery: 2443 First St, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 10:30a-5:30p, 1st & 3rd Fri 6-10p. 461-7245.
•Guess-Fisher Gallery: 985 Central Ave, Naples. Tue-Sat 1-6p. 659-2787.
•Harbour View Gallery: 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. Jul: Laura Black, Barbara Broderick; Aug: Susan Oliver, Kathy Fitzgerald; Sep: Stacey Ann Roush, Kori Ann Evans. Receptions 1st Tue 6-8p. Daily 11a-8p. 540-5789.
•Harmon-Meek Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sat 12-4p. 261-2637.
•High Tide Studio & Gallery: 995 Central Ave, Naples. Tue-Sat 10a-4p & by appt. 228-6934.
•Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery: 2490 Library Way, Sanibel. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 11a-4p. 395-0027.
•HW Gallery: 462 9th St N, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. 263-6640.
•Island Visions: 2224 First St, Ft Myers. Sun-Thu 11a-6p, Fri & Sat 11a-9p. 282-0452.
•Joel Shapses Gallery: Naples Art District, 6240 Shirley St, #102, Naples. By appt. 954830-3156.
•Larimart Gallery: 2359
Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Galleria Shoppes, #410, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-7p & Sat 10-3p. 276-0448.
•Laurel Schmid Fine Art Gallery & Studio: 5760 Shirley St, #15, Naples. Tue-Fri 1-5p & 2nd Sat 1-5p. 789-3823.
•Lovegrove Gallery: 1415 Dean St., #102 Ft Myers. TueSun 11a-6p. 938-5655
•MARA Art Studio & Gallery: 76 S Palm Ave, Sarasota. TueFri 11a-4p. 941-914-8110.
•Marco Island Center for the Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Main Galleries— thru Jul 1: Miami to Marco; Jul 7-29: Love to Learn; Aug 4-Sep 30: Keeping It Cool.
La Petite Galerie— May 5-27: Thomas Keller; Jun 2-Jul 1: Matt Fazio; Jul 7-29: Marty Simon; Aug 4-Sep 2: Jean Camposano; Sep 8-30: Rae Ann Ross. Dec 3-5: Festival of Trees. Mon-Fri 9a-4p. 3944221.
•Method & Concept: 26 10th
St. S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p. 529-2633.
•Naples Art District: Dozens of artists’ studios & galleries. Shirley St & J&C. 249-1977.
•Naples Art Institute: 585 Park St, Naples. Thru Aug 3: Imogen Cunningham; thru Aug 3: Robert McCabe; Sep 2-Nov 30: Naples Invitational. Mon-Fri 9a-5p. 262-6517.
•Naples Art Studios: Naples Art District, North Line Plaza, 2172 J & C Blvd, Naples. By appt. 821-1061.
•Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens: 5827 Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda. Exhibits— Sep-Apr 2025: Origami in the Gardens. Dogs welcome Tue. Tue-Sun 9a-4p. 941-621-8299.
•Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery: 375 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 11a-5p. 261-4300.
•Rachel Pierce Art Gallery: 1571 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Daily 10a-3p. 292-3327.
•Rachel Pierce Art Gallery: Bell Tower Shops, 13499 Cleveland Ave SW, Ft Myers. Daily 10a-3p. 292-3327.
•Rene Miville Gallery: Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, 2nd fl, Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 10a8p & Sun 12-7p. 333-3130.
•Ringling College of Art & Design: 2700 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Basch Gallery (Thompson Academic Center, 2363 Bradenton Rd); Cooley Photography Center (Bradenton Rd); Crossley Gallery (Hughes Studio Bldg, 2698 Bradenton Rd); Selby Gallery (2700 N Tamiami Tr); Skylight Gallery (Keating Center, Bradenton Rd); Smith Gallery (2363 Bradenton Rd); Stulberg Gallery (2700 N Tamiami Tr); Thompson Gallery (Keating Center, Bradenton Rd). Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 941-359-7563.
•Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru Jul 13: Conjuring the Spirit World; thru Aug 3: Robert Rauschenberg Centennial celebration; thru Aug 10: Sandy Rodriguez; thru Sep 21: Embodied; thru Nov 1: 17th Century Dutch paintings; thru Jan 11: Yoshida Hiroshi; Sep 13-Apr 12, 2026: Abstraction & Symbolism in the Works of Nine Native American Women Artists. Circus Museum— ongoing: The Greatest Show on Earth. Bayfront Gardens. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-3595700.
•Sanibel Captiva Art League: Meetings 3rd Thu 1-3p. Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 322-8593.
•Sarasota Art Museum: Ringling College, 1001 S Tamiami T, Sarasota. Thru Aug 10: Chris Friday - Where We Never Grow Old; thru Aug 10: Personal to Political; thru Aug 19: Slumpies; thru Oct 26: Lillian Blades - Through the
Steel Pulse perform July 8 at The Ranch Saloon & Concert Hall in Fort Myers.
What Goes On
Veil; thru Apr 26: Molly Hatch; Aug 31-Mar 29: Art Deco –The Golden Age of Illustration; Aug 31-Mar 29: Abstract Corpulence. Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 11a-5p. 941-309-4300.
•Shaw Gallery: 761 5th Ave S, Naples. Mon-Thu 12-8p, Fri & Sat 10a-8p. 261-7828.
•Sea Grape Gallery: 113 Marion Ave, Punta Gorda. Tue-Fri 10a-5p & Sat 10a-4p. 41-575-1718
•Sheldon Fine Art: 460th Ave S, Naples. Sun-Thu 10a-6p, Fri-Sat 10a-9p. 649-6255.
•Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. Jul 4-24: Family Connections; Jul 4-24: The Great Collab; Aug 1-28: Not Just Another Day in Paradise; Aug 1-28: Paint Me a Song; Sep 5-25: Student Photo Showcase. Festival of Trees: thru Dec 3. Mon, Tue & Thu 10a-5p, Wed & Fri 10a-10p. 337-1933.
•smallwalls: Naples Art District, 6240 Shirley St, #103, Naples. By appt. 402201-6160.
•SPAACES Studio: 2051 Princeton St, Sarasota Thru Jul 5: Safe Children Coalition Artists. Fri & Sat 11a-2p & by appt. 941-374-3492.
•SRQ East Art Studios: 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. Dozen artist studios. Open studios 2nd Sat 5-7p. 941-363-1724.
•Sweet Art Gallery: 852 1st Ave S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat 11a-2p. 597-2110.
•Tammra Sigler Studio: 5760 Shirley St, # 11, Naples. By appt. 821-1017.
•The Vault by Shaw Gallery: 1040 Collier Center Way, Naples. By appt. 261-7828.
•Tower Gallery Artist Cooperative: 751 Tarpon Bay Rd, Sanibel. Daily 10a-5p. 579-0659.
•Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point: 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. Thru Jul 19: Ripples - Ft Myers Beach Art Assoc; Aug 1-Oct 18: Faces in the Sand; Aug 1-Oct 18: Down by the Shore; Aug 1-Oct 18: Summer by the Sea. Tue-Sat 10a-3p. 415-5667.
•Union Artists Studios: Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Sat 10a-2p & by appt. 980-1394.
•Venice Art Center: 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. Thru Jul 17: Point of View, Karen Weihs; Jul 25-Aug 13: Paintings & Stuff; Jul 25-Aug 13: Cosette Kosiba. Sep 12-Oct 2: I Am Humanity; Sep 12-Oct 2: Through Their Eyes. MonFri 9a-4p & Sat 9am-1pm. Closed Aug 18-Sep 1. 941485-7136.
•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Jul 17-Aug
30: Members Showcase; Sep 11-Oct 14: Melody of Art; Sep 11-Oct 14: Make Some Noise; Sep 9-Oct 14: Raymundo Gil, Rebecca Hall. Mon & Fri
10a-4p, Tu-Thu 10a-7p, Sat 10a-2p. 941-639-8810.
Attractions
•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum: Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 34725 W Boundary Rd, Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, Clewiston. Exhibit— Beautiful & Proud - Miss Florida Seminole. Daily 9a-5p. 877902-1113.
•America’s Museum of the Military & First Responders: Naples Airport, North Road Terminal, 500 Terminal Dr, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-4p & Sun 12-3p. Free. 614-205-0357.
•Architecture Sarasota: McCullough Pavilion, 265 S Orange Ave, Sarasota. Thu-Sat 10a-4:30p & Sun 11a-4:30p. 941-364-2199.
•Artis-Naples: Baker Museum of Art, Daniels Pavilion,
Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 597-1900.
•Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium: Great Hall of Shells, Living Gallery of Aquariums. Ongoing photo exhibits— Brilliant Colors of the Sea. 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Tue-Fri 11a-3p. 395-2233.
•Berne Davis Botanical Garden: 2166 Virginia Ave, Ft Myers. Tue & Thu 10a-1p. 332-4942.
•Bishop Museum of Science & Nature: 201 10th St W, Bradenton. Exhibits, manatee habitat, planetarium. Thru Aug 31: Life on the Edge.
Laser Light Nights: Thu-Sat 7 & 9pTue-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 941-746-4131.
•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Tours Tue-Thu 11a. Register. 337-9505
•Calusa Heritage Trail: Randall Research Center, 13810 Waterfront Dr,
Mike Imbasciani & Bluezrockers perform at Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in Punta Gorda, September 13, during their Folk & Flutter Butterfly Fest.
Pineland. Guided tours TueSat 10a; Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 1p. Sunrise-sunset. 283-2062.
•Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. Museum, butterfly aviary, walking trails, animal talks, butterfly talks, planetarium shows daily. Guided walks select Tue, Thu, Sat 10a; Full moon night hikes 8p. Planetarium shows MonSat 12 & 2p & Sun 12, 2, 3:30p. Tue-Sun 10a-4p. 275-3435.
•Cape Coral Historical Museum: 544 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Museum buildings & gardens. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat 10a-2p. 772-7037.
•Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. Thru Aug 31: Xavier Riddle & the Secret Museum. 10a-4:30p. 514-0084.
•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Jul 8-Sep 27: A Local Dining Experience. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 252-8476.
•Conservancy of SWFL: 1495 Smith Preserve Way, off Goodlette Frank Rd. Nature Center, exhibits, kayaking, nature walks, electric boat eco-tours. Guided walks MonSat. Register. Tue-Sat 9:30a4p. Free. 262-0304.
•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd. Visitor center, boardwalk, exhibits, guided walks, swamp walks, night events. Daily 8a-3p, visitor center 8a-1p. 348-9151.
•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Guided wildlife walks select Wed, Thu, Sat 9a. Trails open daily sunrise-sunset. Free. 657-2253.
•CROW: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife. 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Visitor Education Center, wildlife presentations daily 11a; speakers. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. Free. 472-3644.
•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Wildlife viewing, education Center. Wildlife drive: Sat-Thu dawn-dusk; visitor center: Sat-Thu 9a-5p. 472-1100.
•ECHO Global Farm & Research Center: 17391 Durrance Rd, N Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 9:30a. Tue-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 9a-3p. 543-3246.
•Edison & Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Historic homes, gardens, laboratory, museum. Exhibits— Ongoing: Rebirth & Renewal; ongoing: Fanatics - Edison, Mack & Baseball in Fort Myers. Guided homes tours daily; Automotive Tour: Mon 10:30a; Inside homes tour: Tue & Thu 10a (preregister); Yoga by the River: Wed 10a; Step into History
lectures: Tue & Thu 10:30a & 2p.; Piano recitals Wed 1p. Daily 9a-5:30p. 334-7419.
•Estero Historic Cottage Museum: One-room schoolhouse & historic cottage. Estero Park, 9285 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Sat 1-4p. Free. 272-1911.
•Estero Historical Society: Estero Park, 9285 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Sat 1-4p. Free. 272-1911.
•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. Exhibit— Convincing the MassesPropaganda Home & Abroad. Guided tours. Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 1-4p. 263-9200.
•IMAG History & Science Center: Exhibits, activities, live sea life touch-tank & feedings, films. 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. MonSat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 321-7420.
•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. Jul 1-Oct 18: Community Art Fair. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 252-2611.
•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Thru Aug 9: Backstage Hollywood - Photographs of Bob Willoughby; Aug 19-Nov 8: Plein-Air Paintings of Donald Sunshine. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.
•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. 10a-5p daily. 941366-5731.
•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Historic Spanish Point, 337 N Tamiami Tr, Osprey. Thru Aug 31: Patti Smith - A Book of Days. Daily 10a-5p. 941-366-5731
•Mound House: 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. Guided tours Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-3p; programs Tue, Wed, Sat 10a; Shell Mound tours Tue-Sat 10a, 12 & 2p; Garden tours Tue & Fri 1p; Untold Stories tours Thu 2p; Free guided beach walks Tue & Thu 9a at Newton Park, 4650 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Wed-Sat 7:30a-6:30p. 765-0865.
•MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota. Daily 10a-5p. 941-388-4441.
•Museum of the Everglades: 105 W Bwy, Everglades City. Thru Sep 6: Legends of the Everglades. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.
•Museum of the Islands: 5728 Sesame Dr, Bokeelia. Tue, Thu, Sat 11a-3p. 283-1525.
•Naples Botanical Garden: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Exhibitions— Jul 19-Oct 26, 2025: Artists in Bloom. Daily 9a-2p. 643-7275.
•Naples Depot Museum: Temporarily Closed. 1051 Fifth Ave S,
JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
Naples. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 262-6525.
•Naples Historical Society: Historic Palm Cottage, Norris Gardens & Smith Exhibit Hall. 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Tours: Tue-Sat 12-4p (register). TueSat 12-4p. 261-8164.
•Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: 1590 GoodletteFrank Rd, Naples. Wildlife & botanical exhibits. Daily 9a-4:30p. 262-5409.
•Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary: 41660 Horseshoe Rd, Punta Gorda. By appt. Sun 11a-4p. 543-1130.
•Paradise Coast Sports Complex: 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. Live music select nites 5-8p at The Cove. Free. 252-4386.
•Peace River Wildlife Center: Ponce de Leon Park, 3400 Ponce de Leon Pkwy, Punta Gorda. Exhibit— thru Jan 20: Beguiled by the Wild. Daily 11a-4p. 941-637-3830
•Randell Research Center: 7450 Pineland Rd, Pineland. Calusa Heritage Trail, South Florida archeology & ethnography exhibits. Sunrise-sunset. 283-2062.
•Revs Institute: 2500 Horseshoe Dr S, Naples. Thru 2025: Roaring Twenties Rolling Art - French Automotive Mascots. Tours & workshops. Tue, Thu, Sat 10a4p. Reserve. 687-7387.
•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Exhibits— thru Aug 1: Wildlife & Wild Spaces in SWFL; Aug 4-Oct 31: Through the Lens of Nature - Celebration of Flora, Fauna & Culture. Exhibits, daily programs, guided boat & kayak eco-tours. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. 530-5940.
•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Landscapes & Garden Center: 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Exhibits, demonstration gardens,
workshops. Tue-Thu 9a-3p. 472-1932.
•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Tue-Sat 10a-2p. 472-4648.
•Sarasota Jungle Gardens: 3701 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Live animal shows, tours. Daily 10a-4p. 941-355-5305.
•Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino: 17735 Reservation Rd, Okeechobee. Gambling, entertainment, food. 24 hrs daily. 863-467-9998.
•Seminole Casino Hotel
Immokalee: 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. Gambling, entertainment, food. 24 hrs daily. 800-218-0007.
•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Organic spa, garden & dining. Garden tours Tue & Wed 10a. Daily 9a-4p. 949-0749.
•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat by appt. Free. 332-8778.
•Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Botanical gardens, animals, alligator feedings. Guided tours ThuMon 1p. Daily 10a-2p. 9922591.
Parks & Beaches
•Alison Hagerup Beach: 14790 Captiva Dr, Captiva. Dawn-dusk. Parking fee. 472-2472.
•Alva Park: 21471 N River Rd, Alva. Dawn-dusk. Free. 694-0398.
•Bailey Homestead Preserve: Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Walking tours Mon 2p & Thu 10a. Tue-Fri 9a-3p. Free. 472-1932.
•Bonita Beach Park: 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita
Springs. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7444.
•Boca Grande Park: 131 1st St, Boca Grande. Dawn-dusk. Free. 839-6008.
•Bowditch Point Park: 50 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Dawn-dusk. Free. 463-3764.
•Bowman’s Beach Park: 1700 Bowman’s Beach Rd, Sanibel. Dawn-dusk. 533-7575.
•Brooks Park: 50 South Rd, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 340-0397.
•Buckingham Park: 9800 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 237-9306.
•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Guided beach walks Wed 9a thru Apr. Dawn-dusk. Free. 707-6794.
•Caloosahatchee Park: 18500 North River Rd, Alva. Dawndusk. Free. 693-2690.
•Causeway Isands Park: 19931 Sanibel Causeway Rd, Sanibel. Dawn-dusk. Free.
•Cayo Costa State Park: 4 nautical miles west of Pine Island. Accessible only by boat or kayak. Camping, boating, bicycling trails. 8a-sunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park: 12301 Burnt Store Rd, Punta Gorda. Environmental Center, hiking & bicycling trails, guided hikes. 8a-sunset daily. 941-575-5816.
•Collier-Seminole State Park: US 41, S Naples. Hiking & bicycling trails, boating, camping, boardwalk. 8a-sunset. 394-3397.
•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: 11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach. Hiking trail, paddling, boating, boardwalk, restaurant. 8a-sunset. 5976196.
•Dog Beach: 14436 Bonita Beach Causeway, Bonita Springs. Dogs can run free. Dawn-dusk. Free. 229-0632.
•Estero Bay Preserve State Park: 4940 Broadway W, Estero. Hiking trails, off-road bicycling trails, boating. 8a-sunset daily. 992-0311.
•Estero Park: 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Rec Center. 6a-9p. Free. 248-1609.
•Everglades National Park: Gulf Coast Visitor Center, 815 Oyster Bar Ln. Everglades City. 695-3311.
•Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: 8137 Coastline Dr, Copeland. Hiking & bicycling trails, boardwalk, paddling, historic site. 8a-sunset daily. 695-4593.
•Four Freedoms Park: 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. Dawndusk. Free. 574-0804.
•Freedom Park: 1515 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. Boardwalk trails, exhibition hall. 8a-dusk. Free. 694-2291.
•Gasparilla State Park: 880 Belcher Rd, Boca Grande. 8a-sunset daily. Bicycling & hiking trails, paddling, museum. 8am-sunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Harlem Heights Park: 7340
Concourse Dr, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 839-7062.
•Hickey Creek Park: 17980
Palm Beach Blvd, Alva. Dawn-dusk. Free. 693-2690.
•John Yarbrough Park: 14608
Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, F Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 218-1032.
•Judd Park: 1297 Parkview Ct, N Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Koreshan State Historic Site State Park: US Hwy 41 & Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Archeological site, historic settlement, hiking trials, boating, paddling, camping. 8a-sunset daily, historic site 8a-5p daily. 992-0311.
•Kurt Donaldson Park: 180 Hunter Blvd, Cape Coral. Dawn-dusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Lake Manatee State Park: 20007 State Rd 64 E, Bradenton. Hiking & bicycling trails, paddling, boating. 8a-sunset. 941-741-3028.
•Lakes Park: 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. 7a-dusk. 5337575.
•Lehigh Acres Park: 1400 W 5th St, Lehigh Acres. Dawndusk. Free. 204-1165.
•Lehigh Acres Trailhead Park: 213 David Ave, Lehigh Acres. Dawn-dusk. Free. 204-1165.
•Lighthouse Beach Park: 110 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 7a-dusk. 472-0345.
•Lovers Key State Park: 8700 Estero Blvd. Ft Myers Beach. Bicycling & hiking trails, boating, paddling. Guided walks select Fri & Sat 10:30a; wildlife lectures Wed 10:30a. 8a-sunset daily. 463-4588.
•Lynn Hall Beach Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Dawn-dusk. Free. 229-7356.
•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. Free butterfly garden tours Sun 9a. 8a-dusk, 690-5030.
•Matanzas Pass Preserve: Temporarily Closed. 119 Bay Rd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 707-3015.
•Matlacha Park: 4577 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Community Center. 7a-9p. Free. 771-1078.
•Myakka River State Park: 13207 SR 72, Sarasota. Canoeing, camping, paddling, hiking & bicycling horseback riding trails, wildlife tours by air-boat & tram, scenic drive, guided walks. 8a-sunset daily. 941-361-6511.
•Nalle Grade Park: 8350 Nalle Grade Rd, N Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Naples Preserve: Eco-center. 1690 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Free. 261-4290.
•North Collier Park: 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples. Free. 652-4512.
•North Fort Myers Park: 2000 N Recreation Park Way, N Ft Myers. Rec Center. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7200
•North Shore Park: 13001 N Cleveland Ave, N Ft Myers.
Lee County Sports Complex HAMMOND STADIUM 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy. Fort Myers 768-4210
Jul 4: vs Bradenton Marauders
Jul 5: vs Bradenton Marauders **
Jul 6: vs Bradenton Marauders *
Jul 18: vs Daytona Tortugas
Jul 19: vs Daytona Tortugas**
Jul 20: vs Daytona Tortugas*
Jul 25: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
Jul 26: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers **
Jul 27: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
Aug 1: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
Aug 2: vs Dunedin Blue Jays **
Aug 3: vs Dunedin Blue Jays*
Aug 5: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 6: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 7: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 8: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 9: vs Clearwater Threshers **
Aug 10: vs Clearwater Threshers *
Aug 19: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 20: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 21: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 22: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 23: vs Tampa Tarpons**
Aug 24: vs Tampa Tarpons *
Sep 2: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 3: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 4: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 5: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 6: vs St Lucie Mets **
Sep 7: vs St Lucie Mets * all games start at 7 pm, except *1pm & **6pm
Dawn-dusk. Free. 3575443. .
•Olga Park: 2325 S Olga Dr, Ft Myers. Community Center. Dawn-dusk. Free. 694-2291.
•Oscar Scherer State Park: 1843 S Tamiami Tr, Osprey. Hiking & bicycling trails, paddling, camping. 8a-sunset daily. 941-483-5956.
•Otter Mound Preserve: 1831 Addison Ct, Marco Island. Walking trails. Dawn-dusk. Free. 252-2961.
•Panther Walk Preserve: 2845 60th Ave NE, Golden Gate Estates. Hiking trail. Dawn-dusk. Free. 694-2291.
•Phillips Park: 5675 Sesame Dr, Bokeelia. Dawn-dusk. Free. 771-1078.
Katt Williams performs September 20 at the Hertz Arena in Estero.
What Goes On JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER
•Pinewood Trails Park: 5901 Pine Island Rd NW, Bokeelia. Dawn-dusk. Free. 771-1078.
•Rivers Road Preserve: 2021 Rivers Rd, Naples. Hiking trails. Dawn-dusk. Free. 6942291.
•Rotary Park: 5505 Rose Garden Rd, Cape Coral. Butterfly house, nature trails, environmental center. 8a-4p. Free. 549-4606.
•Rutenberg Park: 6500 South Pointe Blvd, Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 340-0397.
•San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Free. 765-6794.
•Schandler Hall Park: 419 Royal Palm Park Rd, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7200.
•Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: 7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Boardwalk, interpretive center open TueSun 10a-4p. Guided boardwalk walks Wed 9:30a. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7550.
•Stump Pass Beach State Park: 900 Gulf Blvd (south end of Manasota Key, Englewood). Hiking, paddling, guided tours. 8a-sunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Three Oaks Park: 18251 Three Oaks Pkwy, Ft Myers. Dawn-9:15p. Free. 478-6998.
•Veterans Park: 55 Homestead Rd, Lehigh Acres. Rec Center. Dawn-dusk. Free. 369-1521.
•Wa-Ke-Hatchee Park: 16730
Bass Rd, Ft Myers. Rec Center. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7468.
Libraries
•Bonita Springs: 10560 Reynolds St, Bonita Springs. Mon, Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 128p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4860.
•Cape Coral-Lee County: 921
S.W. 39th Ter, Cape Coral. Exhibit— thru Nov 8: Voices & Votes - Democracy in America. Mon-Wed 9a-8p. Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4500.
•Captiva: 11560 Chapin Ln, Captiva. Mon, Wed, Fri 10a4p. 533-4890.
•Collier County Library Headquarters: 2385 Orange Blossom Dr, Naples. MonThu 9a-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7311.
•Dunbar-Jupiter
Hammon: 3095 Blount St, Fort Myers. Tue 12-8p, Wed & Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a5p. 533-4150.
•East County: 881 Gunnery Rd N, Lehigh Acres. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4200.
•East Naples: 8787 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•Estates: 1266 Golden Gate Blvd W, Naples. Mon-Thu 10a6p Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7109.
•Everglades City: 102 Copeland Ave N, Everglades City. Mon-Fri 9a-12p & 1-4:30p. 295-2511.
The exhibition, ‘Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration’ is on view August 31-March 29 at the Sarasota Art Museum.
PARADISE COAST
SPORTS COMPLEX
3940 City Gate Blvd. N. Naples 933-5335
Jul 12: vs Westchester
Aug 6: vs South Georgia Tormenta
Aug 9: vs Texoma
Aug 30: vs Westchester
Sep 6: vs Greenville Triumph *
Sep 27: vs AV Alta *
Oct 18: vs Spokane Velocity *
Oct 25: vs Charlotte Independence * 7:30pm - * 7pm
•Fort Myers: 2450 First St, Ft Myers. Min-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4600.
•Fort Myers Beach: Temporarily Closed. 2755 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Mon-Sat 9a-5p. 765-8162.
•Golden Gate: 2432 Lucerne Rd, Naples. Mon-Thu 10a6p, Fri &Sat 9a-5p. 2524542.
•Immokalee: 417 N First St, Immokalee. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7073.
•Johann Fust: 1040 W 10th St, Boca Grande. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 941964-2488
•Lakes: 15290 Bass Rd, Ft Myers. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4000.
•Marco Island: 210 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Mon-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7064.
•Naples: 650 Central Ave, Naples. Mon-Thu 9a-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•North Fort Myers: 2001 N Tamiami Tr, N Ft Myers. Mon, Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 12-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4320.
•Northwest: 519 Chiquita Blvd N, Cape Coral. Mon, Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 12-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4700.
•Pine Island: 10701 Russell Rd, Bokeelia. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4350.
•Riverdale: 21471 N River Rd, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 533-4370.
•Sanibel: 770 Dunlop Rd Sanibel. Mon & Thu 9a-8p; Tue, Wed, Fri 9a-5p; Sat 9a1p. 472-2483.
•South: 8065 Lely Cultural Pkwy, Naples. Mon-Thu 9a8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•South County: 21100 Three Oaks Pkwy, Estero. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4400.
•Talking Books: 1651 Lee St,
Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 9a-5p. 5334780.
•Vanderbilt Beach: 788 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7160.
Live Music & Comedy
•Americana Community Music Association Listening Room: All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Select FriSun 7p. 691-4069.
•Bay Street Yard: 2136 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 270-5941.
•Bone Hook Brewery: 1514 Immokalee Rd, Naples. Live music select nites. 631-8522.
•Buckingham Blues Bar: 5641 Buckingham Rd., Ft Myers. Live music select nites. Free open blues jam Wed 8-11p & Sun 3-6p: Tommy Lee Cook & The Buckingham Blues Band. 693-7111.
•Buddha Bar: 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Wed-Sun nites. 4828565.
•Cape Cabaret: 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. Tue nites: jazz & blues jams 7-9:30p; Comedy nites: Fri & select Sat nites 7p; live music select nites 7-10p. Tue. 5493000.
•Coastal Dayz Brewery: 2161 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers, Live music select nites & Sat 2-5p. Free. 204-9665.
•Downtown Social House: 1406 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Live music— Thu 5-8p: Emma Coleman; Fri 5-8p: Nathan Tata; Sat 5-8p: Briz & lady; Sun 5-8p: Madison Morris. Free. 337-7646.
•Eight-Foot Brewing: 4417 SE 16th Pl, #11, Cape Coral. Live music select Sat 6-9p. Free. 337-7646.
•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers. Live music Wed 6-9p, Fri & Sat 7-10p, Sun 2-5p. Free. 3136576.
•Howl: 14360 S Tamaimi Tr, Ft Myers. Open mic Wed 8-11p; live music select nites. 332-0161.
•Lobby Bar: Luminary Hotel, 2200 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat 6-9p. Free. 314-3723.
•Matanzas on the Bay: 414 Crescent St, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely 5-9p & Sun 12-4p; last Wed 7-9p Comedy Nite. Free. 463-3838.
•Millennial Brewing: 1811 Royal Palm Ave, Ft Myers. Live music Fri nites 6-9p. Free. 271-2255.
•Off the Hook Comedy Club: 2500 Vanderbilt Beach, Naples. Comedians Thu-Sat & select Sun, Tue, Wed nites. 540-7867.
•Ollie’s Pub: 1019 Cape Coral Pkwy, Cape Coral. Tue: Open jam; live music select Fri & Sat nites. 540-7867.
•Palace Pub & Wine: 1317 Cape Coral Pkwy, Cape Coral. Live music & burlesque select nites. 217-0919.
•Point Ybel Brewing Company: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music— jazz select Thu 7-9p: Brandon Robertson Quartet; Irish music 1st Sun 4-7p: The Rowdy Bards. Free. 6036535.
•Rack ‘em Spirits & Times: 1011 SE 47th Ter, Cape Coral. Live music select Fri & Sat nites. Free. 540-7225.
•Roadhouse Café: 15660 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live jazz 6:30-9:30p. Wed: Danny Sinoff Trio; Thu: Jazz-Matics; Fri: Roadhouse Quartet w Sabrina Williams; Sat: Danny Sinoff Trio; Sun: Ricky Howard. 415-4375.
•Smokin’ Oyster Brewery: Temporarily Closed. 340 Old San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely 6-9p. Free. 463-3474.
•Snappers Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Comedians Thu-Sat nites. 479-5233.
•South Street City Oven & Grill: 1410 Pine Ridge Rd, # 4, Naples. Live music select Fri-Sun 8-11p. Free. 4359333.
•South Street City Oven & Grill: 8845 Founders Square Dr, Naples. Live music select Fri-Sun 8-11p. Free. 4359333.
•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Live music select WedSat nites. 204-9949.
•Sugarshack Downtown: 27421 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Live music nitely. 301-4321.
•Ter-Tini’s Music & Event Hall: 1901 Crystal Dr, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 344-6147.
•The Beach Bar: 1668 I St, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely. 224-4901.
•The Cove: Paradise Coast Sports Complex outdoor bar. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. Live Sat & select Fri nites 5-8p. Free. 252-4386
•The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon: 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 985-9839.
•The Rhythm House: 16440 S Tamiami Tr, Ft Myers. Tue & Sat 6:30-9:30p. 466-8326.
•The Stage: 9144 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs. Live tribute bands select nites. 405-8566.
•Whiskey Park: 3300 Mercantile Ave, Naples. Live music Fri & Sat 9:30p-1a. 263-6777.
•Z’s Music Kitchen: 12655
Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Live music select Fri & Sat 6-9p. 304-9552.
